SETI Live: Automated Discovery of Anomalous Features
Tags: SETI Live
Time: Thursday, Jan 16, 2025 -
Location: online
Looking for Lunar Anomalies Using Automated Methods
Over the past decade, NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) has captured thousands of high-resolution images of the Moon's surface—far more than humans can manually review. To tackle this challenge, scientists have developed an automated system that quickly identifies scientifically significant images from the LRO data, making it the first anomaly detector for planetary imagery. Experiments show that the system reliably highlights unusual features, such as striking geological formations and sites of human landings or spacecraft crashes. This approach fills a critical gap in planetary science, offering a groundbreaking way to uncover hidden insights in vast archives of remote-sensing data and opening the door to applications across many scientific fields.
Join senior planetary astronomer Franck Marchis as he chats with authors Adam Lesnikowski and Daniel Angerhausen about this revolutionary method and its implications for future discoveries.