It may be interesting to note that one way objects are discovered now is by automated sky surveys ("event factories" or "robotic telescopes") like this one:
The essence is to make multiple passes over the sky, comparing current images with past images. Large image-differences represent moving objects, which are looked up in a database. If they are new, they are entered into an event queue, represented above. In principle, other robotic telescopes can scoop up promising events and follow up on them.
http://voeventnet.caltech.edu/feeds/Catalina.shtml
The essence is to make multiple passes over the sky, comparing current images with past images. Large image-differences represent moving objects, which are looked up in a database. If they are new, they are entered into an event queue, represented above. In principle, other robotic telescopes can scoop up promising events and follow up on them.