11-17 Sept. '06 - A/CC Small Object Report

ACC's Small Object Report for 11-17 September 2006

A semi-automated report compiled on 17 September 2006 at 2359 UTC

Twelve small asteroids were reported in the last 168 hours, during which five were newly discovered.

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Editor's note: As asteroids go, "small" is defined as having an absolute magnitude (brightness) calculated at greater than H=22.0, which converts very roughly to a diameter under 135 meters. No matter how close they come to the Earth, the astronomical community does not classify such objects as "potentially hazardous." However, as demonstrated by the mile wide (1.6 km.) Barringer Crater in Arizona, blasted out by a "small" asteroid some 50,000 years ago, there are asteroids too small to be labeled "potentially hazardous" that actually could cause severe local damage. These are sometimes called "Tunguska-class objects" (TCOs), after the 1908 event probably caused by a comet fragment or asteroid too small to be classified today as hazardous but packing enough wallop to flatten a Siberian forest area the size of a large city.
NEODyS in December 2005 changed its main Risk page to classify "Objects too small to result in heavy damage on the ground" as having "absolute magnitude > 25," which corresponds to perhaps 35 meters wide. And JPL two months earlier started flagging (with a blue background) risk-listed objects of "Estimated diameter 50 meters or less" as "not likely to cause significant damage in the event of an impact, although impact damage does depend heavily upon the specific (and usually unknown) physical properties of the object in question."
Small asteroids that come close enough to Earth to be seen have significant potential for scientific study today, and for exploration and exploitation in the future. They present a sampling of distant asteroid populations and a few may be remnants of the event that created the Earth-Moon system.
Some of these objects are discovered while close to Earth moving across the sky quite quickly, when they are called "FMOs" or "VFMOs" (very fast moving objects). The discovery and follow-up tracking of asteroids with H>22.0 represents some of the most difficult and very best observing work being done today by amateur and professional astronomers around the world, and the page you are reading is dedicated to recognizing their ongoing successes.

Object Listings -- smallest objects first [ Alpha Index | 48 Hours | top ]

Size estimate: 12 meters per JPL H=27.17, MPC H=27.2 JPL classifies 2006 RH2 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.011984 AU (4.66 LD), and reports this object passed Earth at 4.7 lunar distances (LD) on 16 Sept. 2006 at 0025 UT. Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-R50: Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) [703] 2006-09-14 0710-0907, 11 pos. in MPEC 2006-R50, discovery (*) 2006-09-14 1147-1149, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-R50, confirmation 2006-09-15 0958-0959, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-R50, confirmation Siding Spring Survey (SSS) [E12] 2006-09-14 1353-1355, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-R50, confirmation Altschwendt Obs. [A44] 2006-09-14 1952-2007, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-R50, confirmation Cordell-Lorenz Obs. [850] 2006-09-15 0458-0536, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-R50, confirmation Sabino Canyon Obs. [854] 2006-09-15 1107-1113, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-R50, confirmation 2006 QQ56 (K06Q56Q) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 22 meters per JPL H=25.89, MPC H=25.9 JPL classifies 2006 QQ56 as an Aten and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.018780 AU (7.31 LD), and reports this object passed Earth at 7.9 LD on 2 Sept. 2006 at about 0417 UT. Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-R44: KLENOT [246] 2006-09-12 2102-2106, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-R44, follow-up See also information from the week ending 10 Sept. 2006. 2006 SB (K06S00B) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 23 meters per MPC H=25.8 JPL reports this object will pass Earth at 3.8 LD on 19 Sept. 2006 at 0632 UT. The MPC reports this object has an Earth MOID of 0.0098 AU (3.8 LD) Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-S09: Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) [703] 2006-09-16 0549-0607, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, discovery (*) 2006-09-16 0911-0931, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation 2006-09-16 1057-1103, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation 2006-09-17 0505-0601, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation Pla D'Arguines Obs. [941] 2006-09-16 2238-2240, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation McCarthy Obs. [932] 2006-09-17 0028-0056, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation Grasslands Obs. [651] 2006-09-17 0305-0308, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation Table Mountain Obs. [673{5}] coded to Jim Young 2006-09-17 0502-0548, 6 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation Andrushivka Obs. [A50] 2006-09-17 1805-1808, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation Great Shefford Obs. [J95] 2006-09-17 2127-2142, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S09, confirmation 2006 SC (K06S00C) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 29 meters per MPC H=25.3 JPL reports this object passed Earth at 2.0 LD on 13 Sept. 2006 at 1526 UT. The MPC reports this object has an Earth MOID of 0.0002 AU (0.1 LD) Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-S10: Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) [703] 2006-09-16 0555-0614, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, discovery (*) 2006-09-16 0913-0934, 8 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation 2006-09-16 1057-1158, 8 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation 2006-09-17 0501-0539, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation Kiev comet station [585] 2006-09-16 2303-2332, 11 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation McCarthy Obs. [932] 2006-09-17 0117-0148, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation Grasslands Obs. [651] 2006-09-17 0319-0322, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation LAMP Obs. [G88] 2006-09-17 0342-0428, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation Table Mountain Obs. [673{5}] coded to Jim Young 2006-09-17 0600-0621, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation Great Shefford Obs. [J95] 2006-09-17 2148-2207, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S10, confirmation (S) 2006 HX57 (K06H57X) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 31 meters per JPL H=25.19, MPC H=25.2 This object has been listed as an impact risk since 2 May 2006. JPL classifies 2006 HX57 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.001523 AU (0.59 LD), and reports this object passed Earth at 3.0 LD on 6 May 2006 at 1431 UT. Lowell Observatory reports 2006 HX57 has an MOID of 0.02768 AU (10.77 LD) with Mars. Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-R48: LONEOS [699] 2006-04-30 0935-0950, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-R48, follow-up See also information from the week ending 28 May 2006. 2006 KJ89 (K06K89J) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 57 meters per JPL H=23.86, MPC H=23.8 JPL classifies 2006 KJ89 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.092238 AU (35.89 LD), and reports this object passed Earth at 38.5 LD on 3 June 2006. Lowell Observatory reports 2006 KJ89 has an MOID of 0.03498 AU (13.61 LD) with Mars. Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-R43: Mauna Kea [568{2}] coded to David Tholen et al. 2006-07-26 1029-1033, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-R43, follow-up See also information from the week ending 2 July 2006. 2006 QX5 (K06Q05X) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 58 meters per JPL H=23.83, MPC H=23.8 JPL classifies 2006 QX5 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.149193 AU (58.05 LD). Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-R49: Linz Obs. [540] 2006-09-14 2012-2034, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-R49, follow-up See also information from the week ending 3 Sept. 2006. 2006 RJ7 (K06R07J) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 63 meters per JPL H=23.64, MPC H=23.5 JPL classifies 2006 RJ7 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.001155 AU (0.45 LD), and reports this object will pass Earth at 15.6 LD on 19 Sept. 2006. Lowell Observatory reports 2006 RJ7 has significant MOIDs with planets Venus (0.04341 AU = 16.89 LD) and Mars (0.03103 AU = 12.07 LD). Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPECs 2006-S03 and 2006-S06: Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) [703] 2006-09-15 1033-1128, 8 pos. in MPEC 2006-S03, discovery (*) 2006-09-16 0835-0901, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S03, confirmation Cordell-Lorenz Obs. [850] 2006-09-16 0940-1004, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-S06, follow-up 2006 OY4 (K06O04Y) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 66 meters per JPL H=23.56, MPC H=23.6 JPL classifies 2006 OY4 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.086168 AU (33.53 LD), and reports this object passed Earth at 34.8 LD on 30 July 2006. Lowell Observatory reports 2006 OY4 has an MOID of 0.04324 AU (16.82 LD) with Mars. Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-S06: Mauna Kea [568{2}] coded to David Tholen et al. 2006-08-11 1046-1047, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-S06, follow-up See also information from the week ending 27 Aug. 2006. 2004 SC56 (K04S56C) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 92 meters per JPL H=22.84, MPC H=22.9 JPL classifies 2004 SC56 as an Aten and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.011296 AU (4.40 LD), and reports this object will pass Earth at 34.2 LD on 21 Sept. 2006. Lowell Observatory reports 2004 SC56 has an MOID of 0.01866 AU (7.26 LD) with Venus. Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-S08: Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) [703] 2006-09-16 0548-0607, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, rediscovery 2006-09-16 1100-1105, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, confirmation 2006-09-17 0457-0553, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, confirmation Kiev comet station [585] 2006-09-16 2236-2248, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, confirmation McCarthy Obs. [932] 2006-09-17 0242-0304, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, confirmation Cordell-Lorenz Obs. [850] 2006-09-17 0307-0337, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, confirmation Table Mountain Obs. [673{5}] coded to Jim Young 2006-09-17 0324-0350, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, confirmation Grasslands Obs. [651] 2006-09-17 0703-0706, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-S08, confirmation 2006 RJ1 (K06R01J) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 121 meters per JPL H=22.24, MPC H=22.3 This object has been listed as an impact risk since 13 Sept. 2006. JPL classifies 2006 RJ1 as an Aten and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.001583 AU (0.62 LD). Lowell Observatory reports 2006 RJ1 has an MOID of 0.00451 AU (1.75 LD) with Venus. Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPECs 2006-R45 and 2006-S06: Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) [703] 2006-09-12 1048-1149, 8 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, discovery (*) Siding Spring Survey (SSS) [E12] 2006-09-12 1650-1751, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation Guidestar Obs. [A17] 2006-09-12 2134-2217, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation KLENOT [246] 2006-09-12 2218-2225, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation Altschwendt Obs. [A44] 2006-09-12 2236-2328, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation Farra d'Isonzo Obs. [595] 2006-09-12 2249-2316, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation Farpoint Obs. [734] 2006-09-13 0636-0705, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation Table Mountain Obs. [673{5}] coded to Jim Young 2006-09-13 0808-0828, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation Mt. John Obs. [474] 2006-09-13 1039-1102, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-R45, confirmation Desert Moon Obs. [448] 2006-09-16 0701-0746, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-S06, follow-up 2002 FD6 (K02F06D) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]

Size estimate: 121 meters per JPL H=22.23, MPC H=22.3 JPL classifies 2002 FD6 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.003677 AU (1.43 LD). Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-R48: Mt. John Obs. [474] 2006-09-13 1303-1335, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-R48, recovery

48+120 Hours [ Objects Listings (size order) | Object Index (alpha/xref) | top ]

Observations of 12 small objects were reported during the last 168 hours: 2002 FD6, 2004 SC56, 2006 HX57, 2006 KJ89, 2006 OY4, 2006 QQ56, 2006 QX5, 2006 RH2, 2006 RJ1, 2006 RJ7, 2006 SB & 2006 SC in MPECs: 2006-R43 time-stamped 2006 Sept.12, 06:07 UT - Daily Orbit Update 2006-R44 time-stamped 2006 Sept.13, 06:07 UT - Daily Orbit Update 2006-R45 time-stamped 2006 Sept. 13, 13:24 UT - 2006 RJ1 2006-R48 time-stamped 2006 Sept.14, 06:06 UT - Daily Orbit Update 2006-R49 time-stamped 2006 Sept.15, 06:08 UT - Daily Orbit Update 2006-R50 time-stamped 2006 Sept. 15, 13:30 UT - 2006 RH2 2006-S03 time-stamped 2006 Sept. 16, 10:30 UT - 2006 RJ7 2006-S06 time-stamped 2006 Sept.17, 06:07 UT - Daily Orbit Update 2006-S08 time-stamped 2006 Sept. 17, 16:03 UT - 2004 SC56 2006-S09 time-stamped 2006 Sept. 17, 22:21 UT - 2006 SB 2006-S10 time-stamped 2006 Sept. 17, 22:28 UT - 2006 SC Date & times for other sources that were parsed to compile this page: JPL Close Approaches, downloaded at 2006 Sept. 17, 2340 UTC JPL NEO Orbital Elements, downloaded at 2006 Sept. 17, 1542 UTC Lowell Observatory Orbit intersections, time-stamped 2006 Sep 17 2001:34 UTC MPC NEA.DAT from MPC mirror, downloaded at 2006 Sept. 17, 1534 UTC Risk monitoring sites, as of A/CC's check at 2006 Sept. 17, 2359 UTC (see CRT page) Some observation sets have MPEC codes in parentheses, such as (*) denoting discovery.

Viewing Opportunities for Small Objects [ news | size order | alpha order | top ]

This compilation shows 19 small objects as being currently in view, including 9 not reported in the last seven days. Viewing by date order - see this list also by designation order Object View until MOID AU Dia H Arc Notes (calc date) ---------- ---------- -------- --- ----- --- - ----------------------- 2005 QQ87 2006-09-18 0.079408 95 22.76 10 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 2006 QN111 2006-09-18 0.008436 60 23.75 7 - risk listed - past obs. - (6 Sept.) 2006 QB58 2006-09-19 0.100415 56 23.89 3 - was risk listed - past obs. - (1 Sept.) 2006 RH2 2006-09-23 0.011984 12 27.17 1 - (15 Sept.) 2006 RJ7 2006-09-23 0.001155 63 23.64 1 - (17 Sept.) 2006 SB 2006-09-25 0.0098 23 25.8 2 - (17 Sept.) 2006 SC 2006-09-30 0.0002 29 25.3 2 - (17 Sept.) 2006 OY4 2006-09-30 0.086168 66 23.56 32 - (17 Sept.) 2006 QX5 2006-10-01 0.149193 58 23.83 27 - (15 Sept.) 2002 TD58 2006-10-03 0.101541 84 23.02 25 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 1998 VD32 2006-10-06 0.029901 124 22.19 12 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 2006 QA 2006-10-07 0.058069 78 23.20 18 - past obs. - (5 Sept.) 1999 RJ33 2006-10-10 0.026859 108 22.49 16 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 2002 TZ57 2006-10-17 0.042026 51 24.12 7 - bright recov. poss. - (30 Aug.) 2006 QQ56 2006-10-19 0.018780 22 25.89 19 - (13 Sept.) 2004 SC56 2006-10-20 0.011296 92 22.84 2op - (17 Sept.) 2006 RJ1 2006-10-27 0.001583 121 22.24 4 - risk listed - (17 Sept.) 2002 FD6 2006-11-06 0.003677 121 22.23 2op - (14 Sept.) 1998 HG49 2006-12-21 0.076404 141 21.91 3op - "only 1 night" - past obs. - (16 July) Viewing by designation order - see also Viewing by date order Object View until MOID AU Dia H Arc Notes (calc date) ---------- ---------- -------- --- ----- --- - ----------------------- 2006 SC 2006-09-30 0.0002 29 25.3 2 - (17 Sept.) 2006 SB 2006-09-25 0.0098 23 25.8 2 - (17 Sept.) 2006 RJ7 2006-09-23 0.001155 63 23.64 1 - (17 Sept.) 2006 RH2 2006-09-23 0.011984 12 27.17 1 - (15 Sept.) 2006 RJ1 2006-10-27 0.001583 121 22.24 4 - risk listed - (17 Sept.) 2006 QN111 2006-09-18 0.008436 60 23.75 7 - risk listed - past obs. - (6 Sept.) 2006 QB58 2006-09-19 0.100415 56 23.89 3 - was risk listed - past obs. - (1 Sept.) 2006 QQ56 2006-10-19 0.018780 22 25.89 19 - (13 Sept.) 2006 QX5 2006-10-01 0.149193 58 23.83 27 - (15 Sept.) 2006 QA 2006-10-07 0.058069 78 23.20 18 - past obs. - (5 Sept.) 2006 OY4 2006-09-30 0.086168 66 23.56 32 - (17 Sept.) 2005 QQ87 2006-09-18 0.079408 95 22.76 10 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 2004 SC56 2006-10-20 0.011296 92 22.84 2op - (17 Sept.) 2002 TD58 2006-10-03 0.101541 84 23.02 25 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 2002 TZ57 2006-10-17 0.042026 51 24.12 7 - bright recov. poss. - (30 Aug.) 2002 FD6 2006-11-06 0.003677 121 22.23 2op - (14 Sept.) 1999 RJ33 2006-10-10 0.026859 108 22.49 16 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 1998 VD32 2006-10-06 0.029901 124 22.19 12 - faint recov. poss. - (16 July) 1998 HG49 2006-12-21 0.076404 141 21.91 3op - "only 1 night" - past obs. - (16 July) Out-of-view date based on MPES solar elongation <40° and/or magnitude V>22.0 at 1200 UT geocentric. (Not factored in is any lunar interference with viewing.) Objects are linked in the left-most column only if observed in the last seven days, while objects with earlier small-object reporting are linked under "Notes." Diameter ("Dia") is in meters, a very rough estimate from brightness (H). Observing "Arc" is from MPES in days or number of oppositions. "In view" does not necessarily mean locatable for objects with short arcs in prior years and for which a large search or accidental rediscovery are the best hopes.

Small object observation cross index [ size order | 48 Hours | viewing | top ]

Object

Observed by MPC code

2002 FD6

474

2004 SC56

585, 651, 673, 703, 850, 932

2006 HX57

699

2006 KJ89

568

2006 OY4