SOHO/LASCO C2 Telescope Images of 2,950 Comet Observations

Approximately 36,000 images from the SOHO spacecraft's LASCO C2 telescope, prepared for a Topcoder challenge. The data comprises observations of extremely faint, noise-level comets that are difficult for automated algorithms to detect. NASA provides this data with no restrictions on use.

Use Cases

• Developing automated comet detection algorithms based on faint, noise-level observations.
• Training machine learning models for object tracking based on the dynamic and morphologically diverse nature of the comets.
• Benchmarking computer vision models against a human-eye detection standard mentioned in the description.
• Studying the characteristics of Kreutz sungrazing comets, which are the primary type observed by SOHO/LASCO.

Strengths

• Approximately 36,000 images provide a substantial volume for analysis.
• Data is focused on 2,950 specific comet observations, offering a clear use case.
• Explicitly prepared for a machine learning challenge, suggesting relevance for algorithm development.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
• Row count and sample data are unavailable, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

NASA

Collection Method

Images collected by the LASCO C2 coronagraph instrument on the SOHO spacecraft.

Geography

Solar observations from the SOHO spacecraft's location at the L1 Lagrange point.