Earth's Busy Neighborhood
ACC's Small Object Report for 6-12 November 2006
A semi-automated report compiled on 12 November 2006 at 2359 UTC
Twelve small asteroids reported in the last 168 hours, during which none were newly discovered.
Currently 1,151 NEAs are listed with H>22.0 by JPL and/or the MPC (967 are listed as such by both).
[ news | objects by size | object index alpha/cross-ref | 48 Hours | viewing | weekly ]
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.
Small Object News (newest items first) [ object listings |
index |
48 Hours |
viewing |
weekly |
top ]
- Nov. 12: Sunday's Daily Orbit Update (DOU) MPEC 2006-V42 reports recent observations of six small asteroids. The Mount Lemmon Survey (MLS) in Arizona made the second observation of 1998 HG49 on its third opposition, bringing this year's arc to 118.5 days. MLS also added about fourteen days to what had been a 32-day observing arc for 2006 SP198 and about 22 days to 2006 TO's eighteen-day arc, and together with Sandlot Observatory in Kansas extended 2006 UP's eleven-day arc by about fifteen days. The Spacewatch 1.8-meter telescope added about fourteen days to 2006 SB142's former 30-day observing arc. And Desert Moon Observatory in New Mexico kept an eye on 2006 UF.
Also in the DOU is observation of 2005 EZ223 reported from the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in the Ukraine from April 6th last year, extending the former 23-day observing arc by almost seventeen hours. 2005 EZ223 was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona on 14 March 2005.
- Nov. 11: Saturday DOU MPEC 2006-V36 reports observations of two small asteroids yesterday and two more in recent years. 2006 UE has had about fifteen days added to its eleven-day observing arc from work at the Spacewatch 1.8m telescope in Arizona yesterday morning and Pla D'Arguines Observatory in Spain last night. And NEAT's Mt. Palomar telescope in southern California tracked 2006 UC185.
Some sleuth or sleuths have found 2002 XB40 from NEAT/Palomar from 10 December 2002, shortly after this object was first noticed by LINEAR in New Mexico. It was last reported observed eighteen days later in observations coded to Tim Spahr at Whipple Observatory in Arizona.
2004 VP was discovered on 3 November 2004 with the Spacewatch 0.9-meter telescope in Arizona and had been last reported observed on December 1st, by Powell Observatory in Kansas. Today 34 positions spanning two and a quarter hours on 5-6 April of the next year are reported from the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in the Ukraine.
- Nov. 10: Friday DOU MPEC 2006-V35 reports observations of three small asteroids. In southern California NEAT's Mt. Palomar telescope and Jim Young at Table Mountain Observatory added about seven days to the five-day observing arc of 2006 UC185, Desert Moon Observatory in New Mexico added about fourteen days to 2006 UF's ten-day arc, and Great Shefford Observatory in England added eight days to 2006 VB's one-day arc.
- Nov. 7-9: The DOU MPEC on Tuesday carried recent observation of only one asteroid, and it wasn't classified as small. There was more activity reported in Wednesday's DOU, but no small asteroids, and Thursday's three recently-observed asteroids also weren't small. This situation is normal following a full Moon, but observing activity may have been affected by the Minor Planet Ephemeris Service being unavailable from sometime yesterday into today and for a time on the 7th. See the MPC Status Page for more about that. That page itself was also out and now says "We expect that there will be more problems in the coming days." There are alternate ephemeris services but this one is probably the most used by NEO observers. It is central to the NEO discovery confirmation process that is just starting up again today as interference from the Moon decreases.
- Nov. 6: Monday's DOU MPEC 2006-V17 reports observation of one small asteroid, of 2006 UA216 from Schiaparelli Observatory in Italy on Saturday.
- See news from the week of 30 October to 5 November and from previous weeks, and you also can look up individual small asteroids.
Object Listings -- smallest objects first [ Alpha Index | 48 Hours | top ]
2006 VB (K06V00B) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 32 meters per JPL H=25.09, MPC H=25.1
JPL classifies 2006 VB as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.038194 AU (14.86 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 15.4 lunar distances (LD) on 22 Oct. 2006.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V35:
Great Shefford Obs. [J95]
2006-11-09 2025-2025, 1 pos. in MPEC 2006-V35, follow-up
2006-11-09 2217-2217, 1 pos. in MPEC 2006-V35, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 5 Nov. 2006.
2002 XB40 (K02X40B) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 54 meters per JPL H=23.98, MPC H=23.9
JPL classifies 2002 XB40 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.010533 AU (4.10 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V36:
NEAT's Mt. Palomar telescope [644]
2002-12-10 0618-0741, 6 pos. in MPEC 2006-V36, follow-up
2006 UA216 (K06UL6A) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 65 meters per JPL H=23.57, MPC H=23.6
JPL classifies 2006 UA216 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.014266 AU (5.55 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 6.0 LD on 31 Oct. 2006 at 0232 UT.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V17:
Schiaparelli Obs. [204]
2006-11-04 2210-2219, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-V17, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 5 Nov. 2006.
2006 UC185 (K06UI5C) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 69 meters per JPL H=23.45, MPC H=23.4
JPL classifies 2006 UC185 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.011972 AU (4.66 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 6.3 LD on 23 Oct. 2006 at 2208 UT.
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 UC185 has an MOID of 0.02390 AU (9.3 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPECs 2006-V35 and 2006-V36:
NEAT's Mt. Palomar telescope [644]
2006-11-08 0814-0913, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V35, follow-up
2006-11-10 0659-0759, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V36, follow-up
Table Mountain Obs. [673{5}] coded to Jim Young
2006-11-09 0340-0407, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-V35, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 5 Nov. 2006.
2006 TO (K06T00O) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 88 meters per JPL H=22.93, MPC H=23.0
This object was listed from 3 until 14 Oct. 2006 as an impact risk.
JPL classifies 2006 TO as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.183165 AU (71.27 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V42:
Mt. Lemmon Survey (MLS) [G96]
2006-11-11 1019-1039, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 29 Oct. 2006.
2006 UP (K06U00P) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 91 meters per JPL H=22.86, MPC H=22.7
JPL classifies 2006 UP as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.112141 AU (43.63 LD).
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 UP has an MOID of 0.01044 AU (4.06 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V42:
Mt. Lemmon Survey (MLS) [G96]
2006-11-11 0848-0909, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
Sandlot Obs. [H36]
2006-11-11 1001-1023, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 29 Oct. 2006.
2005 EZ223 (K05EM3Z) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 104 meters per JPL H=22.56, MPC H=22.8
JPL classifies 2005 EZ223 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.022730 AU (8.84 LD).
Lowell Observatory reports 2005 EZ223 has an MOID of 0.02661 AU (10.35 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V42:
Crimean Astrophysical Obs. [095]
2005-04-06 2235-2313, 12 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
2006 UF (K06U00F) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 107 meters per JPL H=22.50, MPC H=22.6
JPL classifies 2006 UF as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.170949 AU (66.52 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPECs 2006-V35 and 2006-V42:
Desert Moon Obs. [448]
2006-11-09 0754-0845, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V35, follow-up
2006-11-11 0854-0953, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 29 Oct. 2006.
2006 UE (K06U00E) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 107 meters per JPL H=22.50, MPC H=22.5
JPL classifies 2006 UE as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.205867 AU (80.10 LD).
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 UE has an MOID of 0.03334 AU (12.97 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V36:
Spacewatch 1.8m telescope [291]
2006-11-10 0828-0840, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V36, follow-up
Pla D'Arguines Obs. [941]
2006-11-10 2359-0015, 5 pos. in MPEC 2006-V36, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 29 Oct. 2006.
2006 SB142 (K06SE2B) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 128 meters per JPL H=22.12, MPC H=22.1
JPL classifies 2006 SB142 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.275676 AU (107.27 LD).
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 SB142 has an MOID of 0.03442 AU (13.39 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V42:
Spacewatch 1.8m telescope [291]
2006-11-11 0755-0806, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 29 Oct. 2006.
2006 SP198 (K06SJ8P) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 129 meters per MPC H=22.1
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 SP198 has significant MOIDs with planets Mars (0.02313 AU =
9.0 LD) and Jupiter (0.8449 AU = 328.8 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V42:
Mt. Lemmon Survey (MLS) [G96]
2006-11-11 0558-0620, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 29 Oct. 2006.
1998 HG49 (J98H49G) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 141 meters per JPL H=21.91, MPC H=22.1
JPL classifies 1998 HG49 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.076422 AU (29.74 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-V42:
Mt. Lemmon Survey (MLS) [G96]
2006-11-11 0250-0305, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-V42, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 16 July 2006.
48+120 Hours [ Objects Listings (size order) | Object Index (alpha/xref) | top ]
Observations of 12 small objects were reported during the last 168 hours:
1998 HG49, 2002 XB40, 2005 EZ223, 2006 SB142, 2006 SP198, 2006 TO, 2006 UA216, 2006 UC185,
2006 UE, 2006 UF, 2006 UP & 2006 VB
in MPECs:
2006-V17 time-stamped 2006 Nov. 6, 07:20 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-V35 time-stamped 2006 Nov. 10, 07:22 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-V36 time-stamped 2006 Nov. 11, 07:20 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-V42 time-stamped 2006 Nov. 12, 07:20 UT - Daily Orbit Update
Date & times for other sources that were parsed to compile this page:
JPL Close Approaches, downloaded at 2006 Nov. 12, 1827 UTC
JPL NEO Orbital Elements, downloaded at 2006 Nov. 12, 1903 UTC
Lowell Observatory Orbit intersections, time-stamped 2006 Nov 12 1908:12 UTC
MPC NEA.DAT from MPC mirror, downloaded at 2006 Nov. 12, 1656 UTC
Risk monitoring sites, as of A/CC's check at 2006 Nov. 12, 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 26 small objects as being currently in view,
including 16 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)
---------- ---------- -------- --- ----- --- - -----------------------
2006 UY16 2006-11-13 0.028840 42 24.52 6 - past obs. - (26 Oct.)
2006 UZ215 2006-11-13 0.010253 27 25.53 4 - past obs. - (4 Nov.)
2006 UJ 2006-11-14 0.132150 56 23.89 6 - past obs. - (25 Oct.)
2003 UY12 2006-11-17 0.012259 74 23.29 8 - faint recov. poss. - (30 Aug.)
2006 VB 2006-11-17 0.038194 32 25.09 9 - (10 Nov.)
2006 UH185 2006-11-19 0.070673 32 25.15 1 - past obs. - (29 Oct.)
2006 TD 2006-11-19 0.018173 112 22.40 28 - past obs. - (30 Oct.)
2006 UB17 2006-11-19 0.027998 19 26.29 11 - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2006 UX1 2006-11-20 0.259858 128 22.11 6 - past obs. - (24 Oct.)
2006 UE185 2006-11-23 0.176020 44 24.41 2 - past obs. - (29 Oct.)
2006 SB142 2006-11-26 0.275676 128 22.12 44 - (12 Nov.)
2001 WV1 2006-11-28 0.001749 110 22.44 3 - faint recov. poss. - (30 Aug.)
2006 MH10 2006-11-30 0.124765 122 22.22 23 - past obs. - (6 Oct.)
2006 SY5 2006-12-04 0.106588 129 22.09 27 - past obs. - (13 Oct.)
2006 UC185 2006-12-07 0.011972 69 23.45 13 - (11 Nov.)
2006 UN 2006-12-09 0.043063 27 25.49 11 - past obs. - (31 Oct.)
2006 UE 2006-12-12 0.205867 107 22.50 26 - (11 Nov.)
2006 SR19 2006-12-16 0.249754 138 21.95 41 - past obs. - (31 Oct.)
2006 UT17 2006-12-19 0.092145 49 24.19 9 - was risk listed - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
1998 HG49 2006-12-21 0.076422 141 21.91 3op - (12 Nov.)
2006 SP198 2006-12-25 129 22.1 46 - (12 Nov.)
2006 UP 2006-12-29 0.112141 91 22.86 26 - (12 Nov.)
2006 UA216 2006-12-30 0.014266 65 23.57 7 - (6 Nov.)
2006 TO 2006-12-30 0.183165 88 22.93 40 - was risk listed - (12 Nov.)
2006 UF 2007-01-05 0.170949 107 22.50 26 - (12 Nov.)
2006 SV5 2007-01-14 0.035513 80 23.13 46 - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
Viewing by designation order - see also Viewing by date order
Object View until MOID AU Dia H Arc Notes (calc date)
---------- ---------- -------- --- ----- --- - -----------------------
2006 VB 2006-11-17 0.038194 32 25.09 9 - (10 Nov.)
2006 UA216 2006-12-30 0.014266 65 23.57 7 - (6 Nov.)
2006 UZ215 2006-11-13 0.010253 27 25.53 4 - past obs. - (4 Nov.)
2006 UH185 2006-11-19 0.070673 32 25.15 1 - past obs. - (29 Oct.)
2006 UE185 2006-11-23 0.176020 44 24.41 2 - past obs. - (29 Oct.)
2006 UC185 2006-12-07 0.011972 69 23.45 13 - (11 Nov.)
2006 UT17 2006-12-19 0.092145 49 24.19 9 - was risk listed - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2006 UB17 2006-11-19 0.027998 19 26.29 11 - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2006 UY16 2006-11-13 0.028840 42 24.52 6 - past obs. - (26 Oct.)
2006 UX1 2006-11-20 0.259858 128 22.11 6 - past obs. - (24 Oct.)
2006 UP 2006-12-29 0.112141 91 22.86 26 - (12 Nov.)
2006 UN 2006-12-09 0.043063 27 25.49 11 - past obs. - (31 Oct.)
2006 UJ 2006-11-14 0.132150 56 23.89 6 - past obs. - (25 Oct.)
2006 UF 2007-01-05 0.170949 107 22.50 26 - (12 Nov.)
2006 UE 2006-12-12 0.205867 107 22.50 26 - (11 Nov.)
2006 TO 2006-12-30 0.183165 88 22.93 40 - was risk listed - (12 Nov.)
2006 TD 2006-11-19 0.018173 112 22.40 28 - past obs. - (30 Oct.)
2006 SP198 2006-12-25 129 22.1 46 - (12 Nov.)
2006 SB142 2006-11-26 0.275676 128 22.12 44 - (12 Nov.)
2006 SR19 2006-12-16 0.249754 138 21.95 41 - past obs. - (31 Oct.)
2006 SY5 2006-12-04 0.106588 129 22.09 27 - past obs. - (13 Oct.)
2006 SV5 2007-01-14 0.035513 80 23.13 46 - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2006 MH10 2006-11-30 0.124765 122 22.22 23 - past obs. - (6 Oct.)
2003 UY12 2006-11-17 0.012259 74 23.29 8 - faint recov. poss. - (30 Aug.)
2001 WV1 2006-11-28 0.001749 110 22.44 3 - faint recov. poss. - (30 Aug.)
1998 HG49 2006-12-21 0.076422 141 21.91 3op - (12 Nov.)
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 listings |
index |
48 Hours |
viewing |
top ]
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