FMOP news:  The object reported yesterday as discovered by FMO Project online volunteer Robert Klein of Maryland, who was reviewing images from the Spacewatch 0.9m telescope in Arizona, was today designated 2004 TJ10 with MPEC 2004-T35. This small asteroid was quickly confirmed with the Spacewatch 1.8m telescope, which also, after participation from four other observatories overnight, closed out the confirmation process this morning. We'll have more details with the weekly small objects report tomorrow.

Multiple impacts:  The French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) has an October 7th news release telling that satellite radar imagery revealed a 5,000 square-kilometer area in southwestern Egypt that is “the largest identified field of meteorite impact craters on Earth.” Thirteen of these craters were studied with diameters from 20 to 1,000 meters (0.62 mile). An article (336Kb PDF) in French from the October issue of the Journal du CNRS tells about the discovery, and a separate 258Kb PDF has more photos.

The Asteroid/Comet Connection's
daily news journal about
asteroids, comets, and meteors

Today's issue status: done

• News briefs – FMOP news, multiple impacts, David Bender + bits & pieces
• Risk monitoring – 2004 TN has been removed & JPL has posted 2004 TF10 & 2004 TL10

<Yesterday|Tomorrow> Report news here [alt]

About the publisher Space news links

David Bender:  A Pasadena Star-News article yesterday told about the life of astrophysicist David Bender, who passed away last month at age 91. At JPL “he participated in planning the orbital mechanics of many mission projects. His analytical techniques were widely used to evaluate missions. He was a pioneer in the generation of spacecraft trajectories that fly by or rendezvous with asteroids.” Main Belter 2725 David Bender is named for him.

Bits & pieces:  SpaceWeather.com has an interesting composite image today [and at Space.com 12 October] showing the difference in visual size of the Moon at its nearest and furthest from Earth.

Risk monitoring 9 Oct.

The Saturday Daily Orbit Update MPEC (DOU) has observation of 2004 TN from Jornada Observatory in New Mexico early yesterday UT, and today NEODyS and JPL removed their impact solutions for this object, which JPL estimated to be on the order of 318 meters/yards wide.

The DOU reports observation of 2004 TN1 with the Spacewatch 1.8m telescope in Arizona yesterday morning. Today both risk monitors cut their impact solution counts for this object by half or more while also raising its overall risk ratings.

The MPC Last Observation page is showing that Reedy Creek Observatory in Queensland observed 2004 RQ252 yesterday.

Update:  JPL has posted 2004 TF10 and 2004 TL10. Both were discovered yesterday morning by LINEAR in New Mexico, and TF10 was announced today in MPEC 2004-T32 and TL10 in 2004-T37, and they are estimated by JPL to have diameters on the order of 270 and 180 meters/yards respectively. Three Buttes and Sabino Canyon observatories in Arizona participated in confirming both objects, while while Jim Young at Table Mountain Observatory in southern

California pitched in with confirming 2004 TF10, and 2004 TL10 was confirmed also by Great Shefford Observatory in England, Consell Observatory in Spain, Powell Observatory in Kansas, Robert Hutsebaut in Belgium and Jim Bedient in Hawaii using Rent-A-Scope telescopes in New Mexico, and Judit Ries with a 0.76m telescope at McDonald Observatory in Texas.