The Recovery on 2nd Opposition of the Asteroid 2011 YS62 From 2015-09-26 To 2015-09-28

 Observing Runs Looking for 2011 YS62 from 2015-08-26 to 2015-08-28

When it comes to target selection there two criteria I use first is would additional observations be useful, the second is the target in range of the telescope's capability. To find targets I check one or all of the lists (see below) and see if the target is range of the telescope's capability (if it is important I will push the limit of the range) Then I will plan an observing run.  Recently I checked the Arecibo Asteroid Schedule and I saw they had requested optical astrometry for 2011 YS62.  At the time this asteroid had a data-arc span of 89 days and had been unobserved for 1314 days (3.597 years)

First Night 

I first did run of 15 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27), with no luck,. Next I used  Find_Orb to generate new orbital elements with Epoch  2015 Sep 26.0  and did a another run 15. I also used  Find_Orb's Monte Carlo function to generate a lot of clones(virtual asteroids) orbital elements and then manually add them to Astrometrica's MPCOrb.dat file. Then  I created 3 stacks of  5 images and found a moving object near the known object box of one of the clones. I assigned  a temporary designation to the object and  submitted night one's observations to the Minor Planet Center. 

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (1 of  3 First Night )  a  stacks 5 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (2 of  3 First Night )  a  stacks 5 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (1 of  3 First Night )  a  stacks 5 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Second Night

Using Find_Orb I generated two orbits one was with just night one’s observations, the other with 2011 YS62 and night one's observations (“updated orbit”) and manually replaced the "clones" orbital elements.  Next I  ran a series of 6-120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on  itelescope.net's (TEL T27) and  created a stacks of  5 images and found an object at the  known object  box for  the "updated orbit".  Then I ran a second run of 6 images and created a stack of 5 and saw that the object was moving.  Later on I ran another run of 15 images and created a 3 more stacks of 5 images. I assigned a (new) temporary designation to the object and submitted the second night’s observations to the Minor Planet Center.  Shortly thereafter the object was listed on the NEO Confirmation Page.              

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (1 of  5 Second Night )  a  stacks 5 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (2 of  5 Second Night )  a  stacks 5- 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (3 of  5 Second Night )  a  stacks 5- 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (4 of  5 Second Night )  a  stacks 5- 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (3 of  5 Second Night )  a  stacks 5- 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Third Night

I did the same orbit  update has I did the night before then, I obtain 32--120 Second Luminance BIN2 images with itelescope.net's (TEL T27) and created 3 stacks of  10  image and  submitted  the third night observations to the Minor Planet Center using the designation that was on the NEO Confirmation Page.

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (1 of  3 First Night )  a  stacks 10 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (2 of  3 First Night )  a  stacks 10 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

Astrometrica object verification window a stack (3 of  3 First Night )  a  stacks 10 - 120 Second Luminance BIN2 Images on itelescope.net's (TEL T27 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD)  at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW, Australia. (MPC Q62)

On 2015 Sept. 28 the Minor Planet Center issued MPEC 2015-S102: 2011 YS62  with the observations from the three nights of and updated orbital elements.

 Background

(as of 2015-09-30)

•  Object: 2011 YS62
• Approximate Diameter: 310 m - 680 m (1017.06 feet to 2230.97 feet) ( Absolute Magnitude:  H=  19.7 )
•  Orbit Type: Amor
• First Observed was made  on: 2011 12 29.15398
• First Observed  By: Pan-STARRS 1 (MPC Code F51) 
•  Assignment of asterisk: Catalina Sky Survey (MPC Code 703) For infomation on how discoverer is defined read MPEC 2010-U20 : EDITORIAL NOTICE
•  Last Observed: 2015 09 28.58389
•  Data-Arc Span: 1405 days (3.85 yr) 
•  Number Oppositions :2
•  Number of Observations Made:  85
• Next Close-Approach:  Will safely pass Earth on  2015-Nov-2 at Nominal Distance of 0.0914513682160852 AU (35.59(LD)) or 8,500,935.758 miles or ( 13,680,929.957 KM)
• On the Goldstone Asteroid Schedule: NO
• On the Arecibo Asteroid Schedule:  YES,  Dates: 2015 Nov 29 (Request Optical Astrometry: No(It was request before recovery was made), Request Optical  Lightcurve:NO, Request Optical Characterization NO)

  Target lists
   

• The NEO Confirmation Page
•  The Possible Comet Confirmation Page 
•  JPL's Sentry Risk Table 
•  the NEODyS CLOMON2 risk page:
•  Spaceguard Central Node's Priority List 
•  Near-Earth Object Human Space Flight Accessible Targets Study (NHATS)
•  The Goldstone Asteroid Schedule
•  The Arecibo Asteroid Schedule
• The Minor Planet Center(has some useful tools)

  Other Links

• Near Earth Objects Dynamic Site--2011 YS62
• (MPC) Observations 2011 YS62 
• JPL Orbit Diagram 2011 YS62 
• NEO Earth Close Approaches (JPL)
• The Tracking News 
• NEO Coordination Centre
• MPC's Guide to Minor Body Astronomy
• MPC Editorial Notice 2011-E67 
• List of removed objects 
• Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale
• The Torino Impact Hazard Scale
• Impact Risk Assessment: An Introduction 
• Practical guide on how to observe NEOCP object
• Understanding Risk Pages by Jon Giorgini