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Jul 22, 2020

The NEO 2020 NK1 On 2020-07-21 From Siding Spring Observatory Australia.

The NEO 2020 NK1 Has Been Rated Torino Impact Hazard Scale 1 this happens a few times a year. The current The NEO 2020 NK1 Has Been Rated Torino Impact Hazard Scale 1 this happens a few times a year. The current Torino Scale state for 1 " A routine discovery in which a pass near Earth is predicted, that poses no unusual level of danger. Current calculations show the chance of collision is extremely unlikely with no cause for public attention or public concern. New telescopic observations very likely will lead to reassignment to Level 0."  I in order to help lower uncertainty I did an imaging run with itelescope.net's T30 in itelescope.net
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The NEO 2020 NK1 on 2020-07-21 from Siding Spring Observatory Australia - MPC Q62 using  T30 (0.50-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD) a stack of 15 - 20 second luminance BIN2 images . By Steven M. Tilley
The NEO 2020 NK1 on 2020-07-21from Siding Spring Observatory Australia - MPC Q62 using T30 (0.50-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD) a stack of 15 - 20 second luminance BIN2 images . By Steven M. Tilley
The NEO 2020 NK1 on 2020-07-21 from Siding Spring Observatory Australia - MPC Q62 using T30 (0.50-m f/6.8 reflector + CCD) a stack of 15 - 20 second luminance BIN2 images . By Steven M. Tilley
Perihelion 2020 Sep 21.088437 +/- 0.0701 TT =  2:07:21 (JD 2459113.588437)
Epoch 2020 Jul 21.0 TT = JDT 2459051.5   Earth MOID: 0.0027   Ve: 0.0539
M 322.85838324 +/- 0.24            (J2000 ecliptic)          Find_Orb
n   0.59820505 +/- 0.00329          Peri.  107.84849 +/- 0.10
a   1.39498433 +/- 0.00511          Node   311.10569 +/- 0.006
e   0.6474844 +/- 0.0012              Incl.   45.46161 +/- 0.08
P   1.65/601.79d           H 19.0   G  0.15   U  8.9 
q 0.49175368 +/- 0.000137    Q 2.29821498 +/- 0.0103
From 41 observations 2020 July 13-21; mean residual 0".18


Background
(as of 2020-07-21 ) 
(Check links for Updates)
  • (474) Mount John Observatory, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.
  • (E10) Siding Spring-Faulkes Telescope South, Australia/NSW.
  • (J04) ESA Optical Ground Station, Tenerife , Canary   Islands (Spain).
  • (Q59) Siding Spring-LCO Clamshell {#}2  Australia/NSW.
  • (T05) ATLAS-HKO, Haleakala, US/Hawaii.  Observer
  • (T08) ATLAS-MLO, Mauna Loa,US/Hawaii.  Observers
  • (W88) Slooh.com Chile Observatory, La Dehesa,Chile.
  • (Z84) Calar Alto-Schmidt, Spain. 
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.49 AU
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.28 AU
  • Earth MOID: 0.00275208 AU (1.071 Lunar Distance) 64.55 Earth radii
  • Close-Approach to Earth:  2020-Jul-31 Minimum Distance  0.0544283775663102(AU) 21.182 Lunar Distance (LD)
Also see:

 

Jul 21, 2020

The NEO 2020 NK1 Has Been Rated Torino Impact Hazard Scale 1 -- Normal (Green Zone)

The NEO 2020 NK1 Has Been Rated Torino Impact Hazard Scale 1 this happens a few times a year. The current Torino Scale state for 1 " A routine discovery in which a pass near Earth is predicted, that poses no unusual level of danger. Current calculations show the chance of collision is extremely unlikely with no cause for public attention or public concern. New telescopic observations very likely will lead to reassignment to Level 0."  2020 NK1 just need more observations.

Artist's concept of a near-Earth object. ImageCourtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech

Perihelion 2020 Sep 21.139924 +/- 0.224 TT =  3:21:29 (JD 2459113.639924)
Epoch 2020 Jul 17.0 TT = JDT 2459047.5   Earth MOID: 0.0027   Ve: 0.0545
M 320.28294890 +/- 0.8              (J2000 ecliptic)          Find_Orb
n   0.60050040 +/- 0.0106           Peri.  107.92176 +/- 0.35
a   1.39142727 +/- 0.0164           Node   311.10237 +/- 0.024
e   0.6466292 +/- 0.00384           Incl.   45.40097 +/- 0.25
P   1.64/599.49d           H 19.0   G  0.15   U  9.7
q 0.49168968 +/- 0.000482    Q 2.29116486 +/- 0.0332
From 29 observations 2020 July 13-19; mean residual 0".18
Background
(as of 2020-07-20 ) 
(Check links for Updates)
  • (474) Mount John Observatory, Lake Tekapo, New Zealand.
  • (E10) Siding Spring-Faulkes Telescope South, Australia/NSW.
  • (T05) ATLAS-HKO, Haleakala, US/Hawaii.  Observer
  • (T08) ATLAS-MLO, Mauna Loa,US/Hawaii.  Observers
  • (W88) Slooh.com Chile Observatory, La Dehesa,Chile.
  • (Z84) Calar Alto-Schmidt, Spain. 
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.49 AU
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.28 AU
  • Earth MOID: 0.00278361 AU (1.083 Lunar Distance) 65.29 Earth radii
  • Close-Approach to Earth:  2020-Jul-31 Minimum Distance  0.052769696480622 (AU) 20.536 Lunar Distance (LD)
Also see:

 

Jul 17, 2020

2018 SV13... "the object is not real"

There has been some media hub ba over 2018 SV13 Update on 2020 July 17 at 14:31 UT the Minor Planet Center Issued "MPEC 2020-O10 : RETRACTION OF 2018 SV13" .. 2018 SV13 " … the object is not real..." see https://minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K20/K20O10.html

 Image edited by Steven M. Tilley  see the original (public domain) image Planetoid crashing into primordial Earth  at  Donald Davis' official site

Jul 2, 2020

0:00 / 4:08 Using Find orb and Guide9 To find the impact location of The NEO 2008 TC



Using Find_orb and Guide9 To find the impact location of The NEO 2008 TC3. Credits The Observations of 2008 TC3 was obtained from the The Minor Planet Center (MPC) https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?utf8=%E2%9C%93&object_id=2008+TC3 The data was examine with Find_Orb Orbit determination software - Project Pluto http://www.projectpluto.com/find_orb.htm Text editing done with MS Notepad The impact.tdf graphic was done with MS Paint. The Map was done with Guide9 https://www.projectpluto.com/guide9b.htm 2008TC3-groundpath-rev Wikimedia Commons https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_TC3#/media/File:2008TC3-groundpath-rev.png Music Way Out West by Twin Musicom is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) Artist: http://www.twinmusicom.org Created using Pinnacle Studio Steven M. Tilley http://lagniappeobserving.com A Link to the files MPCOrb.dat, state.txt, and virtual.txt https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/15P5YnrNr-BfhlFHWtoDtwV9xaITauqci?usp=sharing

Jun 19, 2020

A Foofaraw Over a NEO Designated 2018 VP1

Artist's concept of a near-Earth object. ImageCourtesy NASA/JPL-Caltech
Commentary 
Over the years, the tabloids as shown a propensity for raising a foofaraw over Near-Earth Objects. The Close-Approach of 2018 VP1 is only about four months away, and an internet search will reveal several clickbait stories. Many times it appears that tabloid writers pick a random asteroid and writes a "story" about it. At times one must have some background or do some research to see what the more accurate story is.

There is a low probability, 1 in 240, that the two-meter 2018 VP1 will strike the Earth's atmosphere and create spectacular fireballs on 2020-11-02. A test with the Imperial College London's Earth Impact Effects Program reports, "The average interval between impacts of this size somewhere on Earth is 0.2 years". In other words, it would be safe to assume objects the size of 2018 VP1 has impacted Earth's atmosphere since 2018-Nov-03, the date of discovery. The Earth Impact Effects Program also suggests that the fireball is unlikely to do any significant damage. NASA JPL list kinetic energy at impact from 2018 VP1[IF ANY] as ~ 0.00042 MegaTons of TNT. The Chelyabinsk event was 0.4 to 0.5 MegaTons of TNT.

Four times in the past, NEOs were observed by observers of asteroids before impact. These four asteroids(2008 TC3,2014 AA, 2018 LA, and 2019 MO) all were on the safe side when it comes to size.

 Object Date of discovery Date of Impact Size(M)
 2008 TC32008-10-06 2008-10-07 4.1
 2014 AA2014-01-01 2014-01-02 2–4
 2018 LA2018-06-02 2018-06-02 2.6–3.8
 2019 MO2019-06-22 2019-06-22 3–10

One of the programs available to the amateur observers of asteroids and comets is Find_Orb.[By Bill Gray] It is useful for calculating approximate ephemeris, determining approximate orbits, generating virtual asteroids, virtual impactors, predicting impact locations, and many other things. It should be noted IF one uses the wrong setting, one gets an incorrect solution. Find_Orb can generate an "asteroid risk corridor" with the help of Guide 9.1.[By Bill Gray]

Find_orb computing  Monte Carlo variant orbits  for the NEO 2018 VP1. One can use Monte Carlo method to  create virtual asteroids. By using orbits of  the virtual asteroids one can can see where the "real" asteroid could go. If any of virtual asteroids impact the Earth they become  known as  virtual impactors and the is 'Non-Zero' probability of  the real  asteroid hitting the Earth 

My Find_orb Setting

 Selecting perturbers All
 Epoch 2020-11-01.051
 Monte Carlo noise 2
 Physical model Include  SRP
 Filler out 3 worst observations

As a test of concept, I obtained the observations of 2018 VP1 for the Minor Planet Center. I loaded the observations into Find_Orb and had it run the Monte Carlo method all night. Find_orb generated the following files MPCOrb.datstate.txt, and  virtual.txt. These files had orbits for 129,659 virtual asteroids 200 were virtual impactors( about 0.15%). I place a copy of the virtual.txt file in the Guide directory along with a copy of impact.tdf.(Project Pluto) Then Guide could generate a map of an asteroid risk corridor.

An asteroid (fireball) risk corridor of potential impact for the NEO 2018 VP1, the orange dots is where 200 virtual impactors strike the Earth's atmosphere.

Note: Because there were more than 9 observations, I had to edited virtual.txt to do a workaround. I replace "18 of 21" with "U of O" see edited virtual.txt; this keeps the columns in the right place. I also edited impact.tdf(My) file where I can have more than one risk corridor.



Peter Thomas @ptastro1 also  this path of risk for 2018 VP1 on Twitter

Background

(as of 2020-06-13 )

 
Also see
 

Note this has been edit to fix links and know typos.