Lagniappe Observing

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/

Jan 14, 2019

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


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)
O n 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)