Earth's Busy Neighborhood
ACC's Small Object Report for 4-10 December 2006
A semi-automated report compiled on 10 December 2006 at 2359 UTC
Ten small asteroids were reported in the last 168 hours, during which none were newly discovered.
Currently 1,187 NEAs are listed with H>22.0 by JPL and/or the MPC (1,003 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 ]
- Dec. 10: Sunday's Daily Orbit Update (DOU) MPEC 2006-X29 reports observations of four small asteroids. Antares Observatory in Illinois added 15 days to what had been 2006 UA216's previous 25-day observing arc. Using its 1.8-meter telescope in Arizona, Spacewatch added eight days to 2006 WP3's eleven-day arc and eleven days to 2006 WR29's six-day arc, and also tracked risk-listed 2006 WZ184.
- Dec. 9: On Saturday, DOU MPEC 2006-X27 carries recent observations of two small risk-listed asteroids. Great Shefford Observatory in England overnight added eight days to 2006 WK130's three-day observing arc and also observed 2006 WZ184. From the SZTE Asteroid Program in Hungary, astrometry is reported in the DOU for small asteroids 2005 QQ11 and 2005 RK3 within their observing arcs in early September of last year.
- Dec. 8: Friday's DOU MPEC 2006-X22 reports observations of two small asteroids. Farpoint Observatory in Kansas provided the first follow-up for risk-listed 2006 WZ184, adding about seven days to that object's three-day observing arc. And Linz Observatory in Austria added six days to 2006 WH130's three-day arc.
- Dec. 7: Thursday DOU MPEC 2006-X20 reports observation of one small asteroid, of 2002 XT4 from NEAT's Hawaiian telescope on November 30th of 2002. This small asteroid was discovered two days later by LINEAR in New Mexico and announced in MPEC 2002-X36. 2002 XT4 was last observed on December 28th of that year by Tim Spahr at Whipple Observatory in Arizona, so this data adds 1.738 days to what had been a 25.945-day observing arc. Such late reported astrometry can come from identifying previously unlinked single-night observations that NEAT reported, but most often comes from manual searching of the NEAT image archives for an object that NEAT didn't notice at the time. Either way, credit for successful sleuthing within NEAT's data isn't given when published in DOU MPECs.
- Dec. 6: No observations of small asteroids are reported on Wednesday.
- Dec. 5: Tuesday's DOU MPEC 2006-X17 reports observation of one small asteroid. 2006 WP3 was observed on December 1st by Hibiscus Observatory in Tahiti.
- Dec. 4: DOU MPEC 2006-X13 on Monday reports observation of one small asteroid. Desert Moon Observatory in New Mexico yesterday morning UT added two weeks to what had been an almost five-week observing arc for 2006 UF. With an Earth MOID (minimum orbit intersection distance) of more than 66 lunar distances (LD), 2006 UF is one of currently 74 known small asteroids that come no closer to Earth than 50 LD by JPL's current calculations. Fourteen of those stay out past 100 LD, including recent discoveries 2006 SB142, 2006 SP198, and 2006 UX1.
The record holder for most distant small asteroid is 2001 QE96 with an MOID of 116.8 LD.
- See news from the week of 27 November to 3 December and from previous weeks, and you also can look up individual small asteroids.
Object Listings -- smallest objects first [ Alpha Index | 48 Hours | top ]
2006 WZ184 (K06WI4Z) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 21 meters per JPL H=25.99, MPC H=26.1
This object has been listed as an impact risk since 1 Dec. 2006.
JPL classifies 2006 WZ184 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.001895 AU (0.74 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 5.9 lunar distances (LD) on 26 Nov. 2006 at 2156 UT.
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 WZ184 has an MOID of 0.02125 AU (8.27 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPECs 2006-X22, 2006-X27,
and 2006-X29:
Farpoint Obs. [734]
2006-12-08 0349-0422, 4 pos. in MPEC 2006-X22, follow-up
Great Shefford Obs. [J95]
2006-12-08 2355-0026, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-X27, follow-up
Spacewatch 1.8m telescope [291]
2006-12-09 0430-0444, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-X29, follow-up (H)
See also information from the week ending 3 Dec. 2006.
2002 XT4 (K02X04T) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 55 meters per JPL H=23.94, MPC H=24.0
JPL classifies 2002 XT4 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.018770 AU (7.30 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-X20:
NEAT's telescope on Haleakala [608]
2002-11-30 1208-1238, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-X20, precovery
2006 WR29 (K06W29R) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 56 meters per JPL H=23.89, MPC H=24.0
JPL classifies 2006 WR29 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.088981 AU (34.62 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 36.4 LD on 29 Nov. 2006.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-X29:
Spacewatch 1.8m telescope [291]
2006-12-09 0946-0951, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-X29, follow-up (t)
See also information from the week ending 3 Dec. 2006.
2006 WH130 (K06WD0H) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 61 meters per JPL H=23.74, MPC H=23.8
JPL classifies 2006 WH130 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.089924 AU (34.99 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 36.5 LD on 1 Dec. 2006.
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 WH130 has an MOID of 0.02359 AU (9.18 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-X22:
Linz Obs. [540]
2006-12-07 1728-1734, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-X22, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 3 Dec. 2006.
2006 UA216 (K06UL6A) [ 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 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-X29:
Antares Obs. [H55]
2006-12-08 0517-0527, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-X29, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 26 Nov. 2006.
2005 RK3 (K05R03K) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 66 meters per JPL H=23.56, MPC H=23.7
JPL classifies 2005 RK3 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.014796 AU (5.76 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-X27:
SZTE Asteroid Program [461]
2005-09-06 2050-2054, 7 pos. in MPEC 2006-X27, follow-up
2006 WP3 (K06W03P) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 70 meters per JPL H=23.42, MPC H=23.4
JPL classifies 2006 WP3 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.023419 AU (9.11 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 9.1 LD on 12 Nov. 2006 at 0805 UT.
Lowell Observatory reports 2006 WP3 has an MOID of 0.02773 AU (10.79 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPECs 2006-X17 and 2006-X29:
Hibiscus Obs. [F84]
2006-12-01 1231-1316, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-X17, follow-up
Spacewatch 1.8m telescope [291]
2006-12-09 0919-0933, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-X29, follow-up (H)
See also information from the week ending 3 Dec. 2006.
2005 QQ11 (K05Q11Q) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 110 meters per JPL H=22.45, MPC H=22.4
JPL classifies 2005 QQ11 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.196337 AU (76.40 LD).
Lowell Observatory reports 2005 QQ11 has an MOID of 0.00962 AU (3.74 LD) with Mars.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-X27:
SZTE Asteroid Program [461]
2005-09-07 0011-0032, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-X27, follow-up
2006 WK130 (K06WD0K) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 112 meters per JPL H=22.41, MPC H=22.4
This object has been listed as an impact risk since 29 Nov. 2006.
JPL classifies 2006 WK130 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.019874 AU (7.73 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-X27:
Great Shefford Obs. [J95]
2006-12-09 0220-0244, 2 pos. in MPEC 2006-X27, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 3 Dec. 2006.
2006 UF (K06U00F) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 115 meters per JPL H=22.34, MPC H=22.3
JPL classifies 2006 UF as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.170317 AU (66.27 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2006-X13:
Desert Moon Obs. [448]
2006-12-03 0606-0718, 3 pos. in MPEC 2006-X13, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 26 Nov. 2006.
48 + 120 Hours [ Objects Listings (size order) | Object Index (alpha/xref) | top ]
Observations of ten small objects were reported during the last 168 hours:
2002 XT4, 2005 QQ11, 2005 RK3, 2006 UA216, 2006 UF, 2006 WH130, 2006 WK130, 2006 WP3,
2006 WR29 & 2006 WZ184
in MPECs:
2006-X13 time-stamped 2006 Dec. 4, 07:30 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-X17 time-stamped 2006 Dec. 5, 07:18 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-X20 time-stamped 2006 Dec. 7, 07:18 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-X22 time-stamped 2006 Dec. 8, 07:19 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-X27 time-stamped 2006 Dec. 9, 07:19 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2006-X29 time-stamped 2006 Dec. 10, 07:21 UT - Daily Orbit Update
Date & times for other sources that were parsed to compile this page:
JPL Close Approaches, downloaded at 2006 Dec. 10, 1648 UTC
JPL NEO Orbital Elements, downloaded at 2006 Dec. 10, 1637 UTC
Lowell Observatory Orbit intersections, time-stamped 2006 Dec 02 1931:14 UTC
MPC NEA.DAT from MPC mirror, downloaded at 2006 Dec. 10, 1514 UTC
Risk monitoring sites, as of A/CC's check at 2006 Dec. 10, 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 28 small objects as being currently in view,
including 21 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 WC30 2006-12-11 0.002260 47 24.28 6 - risk listed - past obs. - (2 Dec.)
2006 UE 2006-12-12 0.205867 107 22.50 26 - past obs. - (11 Nov.)
2006 VB45 2006-12-12 0.033213 43 24.50 8 - past obs. - (30 Nov.)
2006 VY2 2006-12-14 0.075098 94 22.79 14 - past obs. - (26 Nov.)
2006 WG130 2006-12-14 0.030492 41 24.57 2 - past obs. - (29 Nov.)
2006 SR19 2006-12-16 0.249457 136 21.98 58 - past obs. - (16 Nov.)
2006 WJ130 2006-12-16 0.035255 52 24.06 3 - past obs. - (3 Dec.)
2006 UT17 2006-12-19 0.092145 49 24.19 9 - was risk listed - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2006 WZ184 2006-12-19 0.001895 21 25.99 11 - risk listed - (10 Dec.)
2006 WX3 2006-12-20 0.113694 116 22.33 10 - past obs. - (2 Dec.)
2006 WB 2006-12-21 0.004825 92 22.82 16 - risk listed - past obs. - (3 Dec.)
2006 WR29 2006-12-22 0.088981 56 23.89 17 - (10 Dec.)
2006 WM3 2006-12-23 0.002608 78 23.18 9 - was risk listed - past obs. - (30 Nov.)
1998 HG49 2006-12-24 0.076417 141 21.90 3op - past obs. - (22 Nov.)
2006 WB30 2006-12-24 0.063830 23 25.88 7 - past obs. - (2 Dec.)
2006 WH130 2006-12-26 0.089924 61 23.74 3 - (8 Dec.)
2004 XK14 2006-12-28 0.025499 120 22.25 15 - faint recov. poss. - (8 Nov.)
2006 UP 2006-12-28 0.112101 84 23.04 38 - past obs. - (24 Nov.)
2006 WP3 2006-12-28 0.023419 70 23.42 19 - (10 Dec.)
2006 TO 2006-12-30 0.183165 88 22.93 40 - was risk listed - past obs. - (12 Nov.)
2006 WK130 2006-12-30 0.019874 112 22.41 11 - risk listed - (9 Dec.)
2006 UA216 2006-12-30 0.014266 66 23.56 25 - (10 Dec.)
2006 VP13 2006-12-31 0.068105 67 23.52 12 - past obs. - (28 Nov.)
2006 BJ55 2007-01-02 0.027817 49 24.21 14 - faint recov. poss. - past obs. - (8 Nov.)
2006 SP198 2007-01-04 0.277259 146 21.83 56 - past obs. - (22 Nov.)
2006 UF 2007-01-11 0.170317 115 22.34 48 - (4 Dec.)
2006 SV5 2007-01-14 0.035513 80 23.13 46 - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2005 CN 2007-01-25 0.029012 85 23.01 2op - past obs. - (6 Oct.)
Coming into view soon:
2003 WP25 2007-02-07 0.023281 45 24.38 3op - >17 Dec. - (9 Dec.)
Viewing by designation order - see also Viewing by date order
Object View until MOID AU Dia H Arc Notes (calc date)
---------- ---------- -------- --- ----- --- - -----------------------
2006 WZ184 2006-12-19 0.001895 21 25.99 11 - risk listed - (10 Dec.)
2006 WK130 2006-12-30 0.019874 112 22.41 11 - risk listed - (9 Dec.)
2006 WJ130 2006-12-16 0.035255 52 24.06 3 - past obs. - (3 Dec.)
2006 WH130 2006-12-26 0.089924 61 23.74 3 - (8 Dec.)
2006 WG130 2006-12-14 0.030492 41 24.57 2 - past obs. - (29 Nov.)
2006 WC30 2006-12-11 0.002260 47 24.28 6 - risk listed - past obs. - (2 Dec.)
2006 WB30 2006-12-24 0.063830 23 25.88 7 - past obs. - (2 Dec.)
2006 WR29 2006-12-22 0.088981 56 23.89 17 - (10 Dec.)
2006 WX3 2006-12-20 0.113694 116 22.33 10 - past obs. - (2 Dec.)
2006 WP3 2006-12-28 0.023419 70 23.42 19 - (10 Dec.)
2006 WM3 2006-12-23 0.002608 78 23.18 9 - was risk listed - past obs. - (30 Nov.)
2006 WB 2006-12-21 0.004825 92 22.82 16 - risk listed - past obs. - (3 Dec.)
2006 VB45 2006-12-12 0.033213 43 24.50 8 - past obs. - (30 Nov.)
2006 VP13 2006-12-31 0.068105 67 23.52 12 - past obs. - (28 Nov.)
2006 VY2 2006-12-14 0.075098 94 22.79 14 - past obs. - (26 Nov.)
2006 UA216 2006-12-30 0.014266 66 23.56 25 - (10 Dec.)
2006 UT17 2006-12-19 0.092145 49 24.19 9 - was risk listed - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2006 UP 2006-12-28 0.112101 84 23.04 38 - past obs. - (24 Nov.)
2006 UF 2007-01-11 0.170317 115 22.34 48 - (4 Dec.)
2006 UE 2006-12-12 0.205867 107 22.50 26 - past obs. - (11 Nov.)
2006 TO 2006-12-30 0.183165 88 22.93 40 - was risk listed - past obs. - (12 Nov.)
2006 SP198 2007-01-04 0.277259 146 21.83 56 - past obs. - (22 Nov.)
2006 SR19 2006-12-16 0.249457 136 21.98 58 - past obs. - (16 Nov.)
2006 SV5 2007-01-14 0.035513 80 23.13 46 - past obs. - (1 Nov.)
2006 BJ55 2007-01-02 0.027817 49 24.21 14 - faint recov. poss. - past obs. - (8 Nov.)
2005 CN 2007-01-25 0.029012 85 23.01 2op - past obs. - (6 Oct.)
2004 XK14 2006-12-28 0.025499 120 22.25 15 - faint recov. poss. - (8 Nov.)
2003 WP25 2007-02-07 0.023281 45 24.38 3op - >17 Dec. - (9 Dec.)
1998 HG49 2006-12-24 0.076417 141 21.90 3op - past obs. - (22 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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