Lagniappe Observing

Oct 12, 2019

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].

Oct 9, 2019

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

Oct 8, 2019

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

Oct 2, 2019

What's Up - October 2019

What's Up - October 2019: What can you see in the October sky?

Aug 2, 2019

What's Up: August 2019 Skywatching Tips from NASA

Mar 17, 2019

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

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/