NASA-JPL Released Episode 3[Bracing For A Crash] of Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids

This artist's concept shows a broken-up asteroid.
Image: Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

This week NASA-JPL released Episode 3[Bracing For A Crash] of Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids. "[What] [i]f a big asteroid is heading our way, how does NASA prepare for the oncoming disaster? " This is the 3rd of a 10-episode podcast host by Leslie Mullen. New episodes will be released weekly. For more information, see "Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids"[NASA JPL press release].

NEO Earth Close Approaches within 25 Lunar distance(dist_min)

We getting better at finding NEO(s) however we have not been looking for very long. Many factors like the full moon, cloudy nights, the lack of large telescopes(i.e. poor sky coverage), etc can keep us from discovering them. So, therefore, we do not "know" about many of the Close Approaches that have happened.  Much of the "known" Close Approaches is only our best postdiction and predictions  Here is An  NEO Earth Close Approaches within 25 Lunar distance(dist_min) table [ Data was taken from NASA JPL SBDB Close-Approach Data API on 2019-10-14.] and scatter plots.  The apparent gaps are most likely were "unknown" Close Approaches would go.

"known" Close Approaches within 25 Lunar distance(nominal)

 

"known" Close Approaches within 10 Lunar distance(nominal)

"known" Close Approaches within 1 Lunar distance(nominal)

"known" Close Approaches within 0.5 Lunar distance(nominal)

"known" Close Approaches within 0.25 Lunar distance(nominal)

"known" Close Approaches within 0.1(Geosynchronous orbit) Lunar distance(nominal)

"known" Close Approaches within 25 Lunar distance(nominal) 1/1/2014  12:00:00 AM to 10/13/2019  11:59:00 PM

"known" Close Approaches within 10 Lunar distance(nominal) 1/1/2014  12:00:00 AM to 10/13/2019  11:59:00 PM

"known" Close Approaches within 1Lunar distance(nominal) 1/1/2014  12:00:00 AM to 10/13/2019  11:59:00 PM

"known" Close Approaches within 0.5 Lunar distance(nominal) 1/1/2014  12:00:00 AM to 10/13/2019  11:59:00 PM

"known" Close Approaches within 0.25 Lunar distance(nominal) 1/1/2014  12:00:00 AM to 10/13/2019  11:59:00 PM

"known" CA within 0.1(Geosynchronous orbit)  Lunar distance(nominal) 1/1/2014  12:00:00 AM to 10/13/2019  11:59:00 PM

"known" Close Approaches dist nominal 0.1(Geosynchronous orbit) LD vs Approximate Diameters (M) A=0.15

"known" Close Approaches dist nominal 0.25 LD vs Approximate Diameters (M) A=0.15

"known" Close Approaches dist nominal 0.5 LD vs Approximate Diameters (M) A=0.15

"known" Close Approaches dist nominal 1 LD vs Approximate Diameters (M) A=0.15

"known" Close Approaches dist nominal 10 LD vs Approximate Diameters (M) A=0.15

"known" Close Approaches dist nominal 25 LD vs Approximate Diameters (M) A=0.15

"known" Close Approaches by absolute magnitude (H)

To get an idea what sizes of "known" Asteroids here is a graph and table created JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine (Asteroids [Numbered and Unnumbered] on 2019-10-18)

upper Approximate Diameters (KM) A=0.15 vs Number of NEOs   upper Approximate Diameters (KM)  A=0.15 vs the number of all All Asteroids

		Approximate Diameters (KM)  A=0.15
upper(H)	lower(H)	upper	lower	All Asteroids		NEOs		NEOs has a % of All Asteroids
-1.50	-1.00	6,847.85	5,439.44	1	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
-1.5	-1.00	6,847.85	5,439.44	1	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
-1	-0.50	5,439.44	4,320.70	1	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
-0.5	0.00	4,320.70	3,432.06	1	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
0	0.50	3,432.06	2,726.18	1	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
0.5	1.00	2,726.18	2,165.48	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
1	1.50	2,165.48	1,720.10	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
1.5	2.00	1,720.10	1,366.33	2	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
2	2.50	1,366.33	1,085.31	2	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
2.5	3.00	1,085.31	862.09	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
3	3.50	862.09	684.79	7	0.001%	0	0.000%	0.000%
3.5	4.00	684.79	543.94	17	0.002%	0	0.000%	0.000%
4	4.50	543.94	432.07	28	0.003%	0	0.000%	0.000%
4.5	5.00	432.07	343.21	49	0.006%	0	0.000%	0.000%
5	5.50	343.21	272.62	98	0.012%	0	0.000%	0.000%
5.5	6.00	272.62	216.55	173	0.021%	0	0.000%	0.000%
6	6.50	216.55	172.01	285	0.034%	0	0.000%	0.000%
6.5	7.00	172.01	136.63	505	0.061%	0	0.000%	0.000%
7	7.50	136.63	108.53	581	0.070%	0	0.000%	0.000%
7.5	8.00	108.53	86.21	636	0.077%	0	0.000%	0.000%
8	8.50	86.21	68.48	557	0.067%	0	0.000%	0.000%
8.5	9.00	68.48	54.39	455	0.055%	0	0.000%	0.000%
9	9.50	54.39	43.21	359	0.043%	1	0.005%	0.000%
9.5	10.00	43.21	34.32	309	0.037%	0	0.000%	0.000%
10	10.50	34.32	27.26	342	0.041%	0	0.000%	0.000%
10.5	11.00	27.26	21.65	422	0.051%	0	0.000%	0.000%
11	11.50	21.65	17.20	607	0.073%	1	0.005%	0.000%
11.5	12.00	17.20	13.66	1,087	0.132%	0	0.000%	0.000%
12	12.50	13.66	10.85	1,880	0.228%	1	0.005%	0.000%
12.5	13.00	10.85	8.62	3,688	0.446%	2	0.009%	0.000%
13	13.50	8.62	6.85	6,765	0.819%	2	0.009%	0.000%
13.5	14.00	6.85	5.44	11,956	1.447%	7	0.033%	0.001%
14	14.50	5.44	4.32	20,126	2.436%	9	0.043%	0.001%
14.5	15.00	4.32	3.43	32,511	3.935%	31	0.147%	0.004%
15	15.50	3.43	2.73	51,611	6.247%	44	0.209%	0.005%
15.5	16.00	2.73	2.17	81,244	9.834%	76	0.361%	0.009%
16	16.50	2.17	1.72	114,481	13.856%	113	0.536%	0.014%
16.5	17.00	1.72	1.37	132,890	16.085%	166	0.788%	0.020%
17	17.50	1.37	1.09	124,987	15.128%	257	1.219%	0.031%
17.5	18.00	1.09	0.86	96,977	11.738%	353	1.675%	0.043%
18	18.50	0.86	0.68	63,784	7.720%	576	2.733%	0.070%
18.5	19.00	0.68	0.54	34,062	4.123%	705	3.345%	0.085%
19	19.50	0.54	0.43	15,035	1.820%	919	4.360%	0.111%
19.5	20.00	0.43	0.34	6,651	0.805%	994	4.716%	0.120%
20	20.50	0.34	0.27	3,270	0.396%	1,099	5.214%	0.133%
20.5	21.00	0.27	0.22	2,126	0.257%	1,174	5.570%	0.142%
21	21.50	0.22	0.17	1,601	0.194%	1,090	5.172%	0.132%
21.5	22.00	0.17	0.14	1,334	0.161%	1,045	4.958%	0.126%
22	22.50	0.14	0.11	1,189	0.144%	1,031	4.892%	0.125%
22.5	23.00	0.11	0.09	1,116	0.135%	1,037	4.920%	0.126%
23	23.50	0.09	0.07	1,155	0.140%	1,129	5.357%	0.137%
23.5	24.00	0.07	0.05	1,229	0.149%	1,221	5.793%	0.148%
24	24.50	0.05	0.04	1,294	0.157%	1,291	6.125%	0.156%
24.5	25.00	0.04	0.03	1,301	0.157%	1,301	6.173%	0.157%
25	25.50	0.03	0.03	1,202	0.145%	1,202	5.703%	0.145%
25.5	26.00	0.03	0.02	1,031	0.125%	1,031	4.892%	0.125%
26	26.50	0.02	0.02	932	0.113%	932	4.422%	0.113%
26.5	27.00	0.02	0.01	756	0.092%	756	3.587%	0.092%
27	27.50	0.01	0.01	530	0.064%	530	2.515%	0.064%
27.5	28.00	0.01	0.01	383	0.046%	383	1.817%	0.046%
28	28.50	0.01	0.01	229	0.028%	229	1.086%	0.028%
28.5	29.00	0.01	0.01	133	0.016%	133	0.631%	0.016%
29	29.50	0.01	0.00	101	0.012%	101	0.479%	0.012%
29.5	30.00	0.00	0.00	52	0.006%	52	0.247%	0.006%
30	30.50	0.00	0.00	27	0.003%	27	0.128%	0.003%
30.5	31.00	0.00	0.00	14	0.002%	14	0.066%	0.002%
31	31.50	0.00	0.00	5	0.001%	5	0.024%	0.001%
31.5	32.00	0.00	0.00	2	0.000%	2	0.009%	0.000%
32	32.50	0.00	0.00	4	0.000%	4	0.019%	0.000%
32.5	33.00	0.00	0.00	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
33	33.50	0.00	0.00	1	0.000%	1	0.005%	0.000%
33.5	34.00	0.00	0.00	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
34	34.50	0.00	0.00	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
34.5	35.00	0.00	0.00	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
35	35.50	0.00	0.00	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%
35.5	36.00	0.00	0.00	0	0.000%	0	0.000%	0.000%

NASA-JPL Released Episode 2[Impact] of Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids

This artist's concept shows a broken-up asteroid.
Image: Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

This week NASA-JPL  released Episode 2[Impact] of Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids. This is the 2nd of 10-episode podcast host by Leslie Mullen. New episodes will be released weekly. For more information, see "Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids"[NASA JPL press release].

NASA-JPL Released Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids

This artist's concept shows a broken-up asteroid.
Image: Courtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

On October 8, 2019, NASA JPL released the first episodes of  Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids -- "The Sky Is Falling," This is first of 10-episode podcast host by Leslie Mullen. New episodes will be released weekly. For more information, see "Season Two of 'On a Mission' Podcast Targets Asteroids"[NASA JPL press release].

The Baton Rouge Astronomical Society donates Library Telescope to the West Baton Rouge Parish Library

Today, 2019-10-09, the Baton Rouge Astronomical Society donated a Library Telescope made possible by the Horkheimer Charitable Fund, The Astronomical League, to the West Baton Rouge Parish Library

 

Imaging Comet 2I/Borisov = C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) on 2019 10 08 from MPC H06

There has been a good bit of buzz over a comet known as 2I/Borisov = C/2019 Q4 (Borisov). Given the fact that it is the second known interstellar object to make its way through our Solar System would explain much of this buzz. If there is buzz if the object is in range of the telescopes if there are open time slots, and the weather helps out, more often than not, I am going to give it a try.  With 2I/Borisov being low in the predawn sky, I had to wait for to be at an altitude at which the telescope could take the images.  I set up the plan to image 2I/Borisov when it was at an altitude of 27 degrees(minimum target altitude: for T11 is approx 20 degrees). I had the telescope started imaging about a half-hour before the end of full darkness. I had T11 take 15 - 60-second luminance BIN2 images.

Comet 2I/Borisov imaged from
New Mexico Skies, Mayhill, New Mexico, USA(MPC H06)
on 2019-10-08 using  itelescope.net's T11(0.50-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD + f/4.5 focal reducer),
 a  stack of 15 - 60-second luminance BIN2 images.
 By Steven M. Tilley  

Background 

Gennadiy Vladimirovich Borisov, a Russian amateur astronomer, has discovered the first known interstellar comet, 2I/Borisov. Discovered at MARGO (Gennadiy Borisov's observatory) in the Republic of Crimea on Aug 30, 2019. This object was reported to the Minor Planet Center as a "comet candidate" using the observer-assigned temporary designations gb00234. This object was posted to the NEOCP/PCCP, confirmation page, and observations poured in from around the World. On Sep 11, 2019, MPEC 2019-R106 : COMET C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) was issued, which stated the possibility and the need for more observations. MPEC 2019-S72 : 2I/Borisov = C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) was issued on Sep 24, 2019. This MPEC stated confirmation of its "hyperbolic orbit and interstellar origin" and "assigned the permanent interstellar designation 2I."

See

• MPEC 2019-R106 : COMET C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• MPEC 2019-R113 : COMET C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• MPEC 2019-S03 : COMET C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• MPEC 2019-S09 : COMET C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• MPEC 2019-S25 : COMET C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• MPEC 2019-S62 : COMET C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• MPEC 2019-S72 : 2I/Borisov = C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• MPEC 2019-S120 : COMET 2I/Borisov
• MPEC 2019-T44 : COMET 2I/Borisov 
• MPEC 2019-T116 : COMET 2I/Borisov 
• "Pseudo-MPEC" for 0002I
• A Second Interstellar Object Has Almost Certainly Been Found In Our Solar System
• MPC Database: 2I/Borisov = C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) 
• Newly Discovered Comet Is Likely Interstellar Visitor (JPL press release)
• The Maybe Comet From Another Star: Now zinging through Cancer: a glob of light from interstellar space ?
• "Naming of New Interstellar Visitor: 2I/Borisov" (IAU Press release)
• Astronomers May Have Found an Interstellar Comet. Here's Why That Matters.
• Interstellar comet C/2019 Q4 (Borisov) by  Piotr Guzik1, Michał Drahus1 Krzysztof Rusek , Wacław Waniak , Giacomo Cannizzaro, Inés Pastor-Marazuela
• Another Interstellar Visitor Is Headed Our Way
• FAQ for gb00234 = C/2019 Q4 = 2I (Borisov) [ by Bill Gray at ProjectPluto]
• JPL Small-Body Database Browser: C/2019 Q4 (Borisov)
• 2I/Borisov (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) 

What's Up - October 2019

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Total Solar Eclipse 2019: LIVE

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The NEO(Aten) 2019 EA2 on on 2019-03-17

Image of the NEO(Aten) 2019 EA2 on 2019-03-17 from AstroCamp Observatory. Nerpio, Spain ( MPC I89) a stack of 20-60 Second Luminance BIN2 Images taken with iTelescope.net's (T07 TEL 0.43-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD)
By Steven M. Tilley

Image of the NEO(Aten) 2019 EA2 on 2019-03-17 from AstroCamp Observatory. Nerpio, Spain ( MPC I89) a stack of 20-60 Second Luminance BIN2 Images taken with iTelescope.net's (T07 TEL 0.43-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD)
By Steven M. Tilley

Image of the NEO(Aten) 2019 EA2 on 2019-03-17 from AstroCamp Observatory. Nerpio, Spain ( MPC I89) a stack of 20-60 Second Luminance BIN2 Images taken with iTelescope.net's (T07 TEL 0.43-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD)
By Steven M. Tilley

The NEO(Aten) 2019 EA2  was first observed by the Mt. Lemmon Survey on 2019-03-09. I has an absolute magnitude of 25.852 giving it  an estimated diameter of 18 m - 40 m. This asteroid will make a close approach of 0.8 lunar distance on 2019-Mar-22.
See :

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2019EA2

https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys/index.php?pc=1.1.0&n=2019EA2

https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/sentry/details.html#?des=2019 EA2

http://www.hohmanntransfer.com/mn/19/19076_0317.htm

https://minorplanetcenter.net//mpec/K19/K19F08.html

https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/

Observing The NEO 2019 AG7 on 2019-01-13 from Siding Spring Australia

The asteroid 2019 AG7(Classification: Aten [NEO])
[Estimated Diameter 23 m - 51 m]
on 2019-01-13
from Siding Spring Observatory,
 Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)
a stack of 12 - 5 second luminance BIN2 images
taken with iTelescope.net's (T30)
By Steven M. Tilley

The asteroid 2019 AG7(Classification: Aten [NEO])
[Estimated Diameter 23 m - 51 m]
on 2019-01-13
from Siding Spring Observatory,
 Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)
a stack of 12 - 5 second luminance BIN2 images
taken with iTelescope.net's (T30)
By Steven M. Tilley

..

The asteroid 2019 AG7(Classification: Aten [NEO])
[Estimated Diameter 23 m - 51 m]
on 2019-01-13
from Siding Spring Observatory,
 Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)
a stack of 12 - 5 second luminance BIN2 images
taken with iTelescope.net's (T30)
By Steven M. Tilley

Orbit diagram 2019 AG7
Earth Distance: 0.014 AU
Sun Distance: 0.988 AU
courtesy of NASA/JPL-Caltech
2019-01-13 13:25 UTC
https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2019AG7

Background

(as of 2019-01-13)

• Object:2019 AG7 
• Orbit Type: Aten [NEO]
• Approximate Diameter: 23 m to 51 m (75.4593 feet to  167.323) (Absolute Magnitude: H= 25.32)
• On the Sentry Risk Table:  Yes 

•  NOTE this is NOT a prediction of an impact but rather a statement there is insufficient observational data rule out an impact -- for more information read  Understanding Risk Pages by Jon Giorgini

• Torino Scale 0

• "The likelihood of a collision is zero, or is so low as to be effectively zero. Also applies to small objects such as meteors and bodies that burn up in the atmosphere as well as infrequent meteorite falls that rarely cause damage.."

•  On the NEODyS CLOMON2 risk page: Yes
• Torino Scale:0
• First(Precovery) Observation was made: 2018 12 31.614374(By Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala, US/Hawaii.  (MPC Code F51))
• Discovery observation was made:2019 01 09.37994 (By the Catalina Sky Survey, US/Arizona. (MPC Code 703)
• Last Observation(publish): 2019 01 12.582898 (By Mauna Kea-UH/Tholen NEO Follow-Up (2.24-m) (MPC Code T12)
• Data-Arc Span (publish): 12 days
• Number of Optical Observations(published):54
• Observatories Reporting (Published) Observations(MPC Code): 
• (204) Schiaparelli Observatory,Italy. 
• (291) LPL/Spacewatch II, US/Arizona.  
• (474) Mount John Observatory, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand. 
• (703) Catalina Sky Survey, US/Arizona. 
• (807) Cerro Tololo Observatory, La Serena, Chile.
• (F51) Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala  (N20.707235 W156.255910)  US/Hawaii.
• (F65) Haleakala-Faulkes Telescope North, US/Hawaii. 
• (G40) Slooh.com Canary Islands Observatory, Canary Islands (Spain).
• (I52) Steward Observatory, Mt. Lemmon Station
• (J04) ESA Optical Ground Station, Tenerife, Canary Islands (Spain). 
• (J95) Great Shefford,UK. 
• (L01) Višnjan Observatory, Tičan, Croatia.
• (T05) ATLAS-HKO, Haleakala, US/Hawaii. 
• (T12) Mauna Kea-UH/Tholen NEO Follow-Up (2.24-m), US/Hawaii. 
• Perihelion Distance: 0.4829280277140071(AU)
• Aphelion Distance: 1.007267187900272(AU)
• Earth MOID: 0.00482722(AU),  1.879 (LD), 113.348270821(Earth Radii), 448,718.132 (Miles), or 722,141.833(KM)
• Close-Approach to Earth: Will safely pass Earth on 2019-Jan-15 at a Nominal Distance of  0.0100782635426263(AU), 3.922(LD), 236.648370166 (Earth Radii), 936,833.123(Miles), or 1,507,686.766(KM)