Using Machine Learning to Optimize Near-Earth Object Sighting Data at the Golden Ears Observatory

Sammanfattning: This research project focuses on improving Near-Earth Object (NEO) detection using advanced machine learning techniques, particularly Vision Transformers (ViTs). The study addresses challenges such as noise, limited data, and class imbalance. The ViT model, initially designed for natural language tasks, has been adapted for image processing to effectively capture complex patterns and relationships in astronomical data. The methodology involved preparing a curated dataset of NEO images, resizing them to 128x128 pixels, and organizing them into triplet sequences. ViTs processed these sequences, leveraging self-attention and feed-forward neural networks (FFNNs) to distinguish NEOs from other objects as well as track the NEO’s trajectory. Multiple learning rates and batch sizes were tested, revealing the optimal combinations for stability and accuracy. The results revealed distinct behaviors associated with varying learning rates. Notably, the learning rate of 0.001 consistently demonstrated stable convergence in training and high accuracy in testing across different batch sizes. In contrast, a learning rate of 0.01 exhibited significant fluctuations in the loss function, indicating challenges in training stability. Conversely, a learning rate of 0.0001 showcased relatively low and consistent loss values during training. These insights highlight the potential of the ViT model for enhancing NEO detection by effectively capturing temporal and spatial patterns. Furthermore, the study emphasizes the significance of larger and more diverse datasets, addressing class imbalances, and enhancing model transparency for guiding future research. In summary, ViTs hold the potential to enhance NEO detection by shedding light on the dynamics of celestial objects and contributing to planetary defense initiatives. The knowledge gained from parameter exploration serves as valuable guidance for optimizing ViT models for NEO detection. Moreover, continuous advancements in NEO detection techniques pave the way for the discovery of previously unknown celestial entities.