[BAA-ebulletin 00720] Notes and charts for 'record-breaking' near-Earth asteroid

[Rick]

[BAA-ebulletin 00720] Notes and charts for 'record-breaking' near-Earth asteroid 2012 DA14
(c) 2012 British Astronomical Association    http://www.britastro.org/

On the evening of Friday 15th February, a 'record-breaking' close-pass of asteroid 2012 DA14 will be visible from the UK, weather permitting.

You can obtain more details and charts here:

Full documentation and ephemerides

Chart for Feb 15, 19:50-21:00 UT

Chart for Feb 15, 21:00 - Feb 16, 01:00 UT

I very much encourage observing this unique event as the object will be visible in binoculars if the slies remain clear at the crucial time.  An update / reminder will be sent out a few days ahead of time.  Please report successful results to myself.  Thanks and good luck.

Richard Miles
Director, Asteroids and Remote Planets Section
arps [at] britastro.org

2012 January 15

[Rick]

NASA to Chronicle Close Earth Flyby of Asteroid

NASA Television will provide commentary starting at 11 a.m. PST (2 p.m. EST) on Friday, Feb. 15, during the close, but safe, flyby of a small near-Earth asteroid named 2012 DA14. NASA places a high priority on tracking asteroids and protecting our home planet from them. This flyby will provide a unique opportunity for researchers to study a near-Earth object up close.

More: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroidwatch/newsfeatures.cfm?release=2013-059

[MarkS]

Oh, it's going to miss?  There was I thinking that DA14 was the postcode of the impact site.

[Rick]

Near-Earth Asteroid 2012 DA14 Makes Preview Appearance

Like trailers for the coming attraction, new images show asteroid 2012 DA14 on its way to a record-close approach to Earth on Feb. 15. One image, taken by amateur astronomer Dave Herald of Murrumbateman, Australia, on Feb. 13, shows the asteroid as a tiny white dot in the field of view. Another set of animated images, obtained by the Faulkes Telescope South in Siding Springs, Australia, on Feb. 14, and animated by the Remanzacco Observatory in Italy, shows the asteroid as a bright spot moving across the night sky.

More: http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?release=2013-060

[Rick]

Oh, it's going to miss?  There was I thinking that DA14 was the postcode of the impact site.

Hmmm... Foots Cray... Think we might be in the ejecta zone here!

[MarkS]

Could be some patches of clear sky tonight - if so I'll try to get an image or two

[JonH]

Humm, I might just have to brush the dust off for this one!

[The Thing]

Definitely a job for the LX webcam... Or LiveView recording in APT using 10x LiveView zoom...  Or QHY5 on 2x barlow...

Planetaria won't map the orbit correctly, the BAA charts are a better bet.

If you belong to the EQMOD Yahoo! group there is a new version in the Files section and instructions/notes for getting your mount to track this asteroid using MPC position data, clever stuff.


Go to http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html

Put 2012 DA14 in the big box,
"Number of dates to output" = 90
"Separate R.A. and Decl. sky motions" selected
"Display motions as: "/sec" selected
"Suppress output if sun above local horizon" and "Suppress output if object below local horizon" selected
Push button "Get Ephemrides"
Cut and paste data (dont' need the headings) into "Program Files/EQMOD/Custom Tracking.txt" where indicated.
Enable Advanced Options in EQMOD Toolbox.
In EQASCOM driver once connected (practice with the simulator in the Toolbox) expand the window, select the the file, push Custom Tracking button, Right Click custom tracking button to slew to Asteroid!

Simples

[Mike]

Some useful info. to find it here:-

http://www.activeastronomy.org/your-guide-to-tonight-s-sky/asteroid

[Rick]

[BAA-ebulletin 00728]  2012 DA14 live webcast on BAA site tonight
(c) 2012 British Astronomical Association    http://www.britastro.org/

Weather permitting we are going to try to do a live webcast of the 2012 DA14 close approach tonight. This will consist of periodically updated live images from a small telescope with a field of view of around 1 degree. We've not had much time to test this so it may or may not work for various reasons but you might like to keep an eye on the following page:

http://britastro.org/live/page.htm

If the weather cooperates the first live images should appear around 20:10 as the object rises above my local horizon. At that time it will be around magnitude 7.5 and moving at around 41 arcsec/sec.

Nick.

[JonH]

Has anyone got any promising forecasts for tonight?
Met office says will clear arround 9 but looking at Sat24 there is a lot of cloud about. 

[Mike]

Yeah i've got a feeling it will be patchy at best.

[Mac]

100% Chance of cloud, as im not working tonight. 

Mac

[MarkS]

100% cloud here as well.  Not looking hopeful 

[The Thing]

The usual pants sky here. The Met Office thinks clouds are see through. Scopes out just in case though, the asteroid will be mear the pole around midnight so there is still time.

[Les R]

100% cloud here as well.  Not looking hopeful 

Ah, yes, so it is! That solves that one then! lol

My question was going to be where is a decent darkish location not that far away from Orpington? I know the answer is nowhere... but there must be somewhere that street lights dont kill everything thats a few miles drive away!

[Rick]

I know the answer is nowhere... but there must be somewhere that street lights dont kill everything thats a few miles drive away!

Round here, it seems your best bet is to go straight up ten miles or so. Technically a mite tricky, I grant you...

[MarkS]

Round here, it seems your best bet is to go straight up ten miles or so. Technically a mite tricky, I grant you...

NASA have done it with the Germans.  A modified Boeing 747 with a huge telescope fitted:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stratospheric_Observatory_for_Infrared_Astronomy

[mickw]

Nice clear night tonight