23 January 2005 - Sunday

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MOS on the Web – An assorment of minor object science links in date order, newest first:

• Mexico Begins Sound Wave Project, AP wire story at Wired News 23 Jan.: "[The] sound blasts began early Friday ... to learn more about the Chicxulub Crater."
• "New telescope to scan sky for dark energy," University of Arizona Wildcat 21 Jan. article, has a photo caption: "The mirror will be used in a Large Synoptic Survey Telescope used to scan the atmosphere for asteroids."
• "Simulating Sedna," Astronomy.com 20 Jan. article: "New computer simulations suggest Sedna could have formed where we find it today." Additional link: "Giant Kuiper Belt planetoid Sedna may have formed far beyond Pluto," Southwest Research Institute 10 Jan. news release
• The British National Space Centre (BNSC) has a report, "Government Response to the NEO Task Force Recommendations, Update January 2005," dated variously as 19, 20, or 23 Jan., that is available as a DOC file, or see it in simpler HTML form at SpaceRef.com. Among other responses, "The BNSC will work internationally to help agree a new target for systematic observation and follow-up of substantially smaller objects. The UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space (COPUOS) and its Action Team 14 on NEOs would be an appropriate body to help coordinate this issue."
• "Editorial: Bouquets & brickbats – Bouquet: dark skies," Albuquerque, N.M. Tribune 19 Jan.: About a proposed Albuquerque lightly pollution ordinance, "New Mexico's clear, dry air and dark skies have made the state a mecca for astronomical observatories... But the darkness is dwindling as the state grows."

Risk monitoring:  Today's Daily Orbit Update MPEC reports that Pla D'Arguines Observatory in Spain observed 2004 MN4 and 2005 BC last night. Today JPL removed its last impact solutions for 2005 BC and barely budged its 2004 MN4 risk assessment, while NEODyS very slightly raised its 2004 MN4 risk ratings.

22 January 2005 - Saturday

MOS on the Web | Precovery | risk monitoring | index | << ^^ >> | top

MOS on the Web – Minor object science reporting elsewhere:

  Solar storm

• See SpaceWeather.com's gallery with photos from last night's spectacular aurora displays over Europe.
• NASA Watch is saying that "reliable sources report that NASA spacecraft such as Deep Impact, Spitzer Space Telescope, Wilkinson Microwave Anisotropy Probe — and others — may all have suffered attitude control and other problems — all apparently due to the massive solar proton storm."

  Hubble Space Telescope

• "U.S. to Cut Funds to Fix Hubble Telescope-Source," Reuters 22 Jan. wire story
• "Astronomers Surprised by White House Plan to Scuttle Hubble," Space.com 21 Jan. article
• "White House Cuts Hubble Servicing Mission from 2006 Budget Request," Space.com 21 Jan. article: "With both ... servicing options expected to cost well in excess of $1 billion, sources said, NASA was told it simply could not afford to save Hubble given everything else NASA has on its agenda."

Precovery:  Rob Matson explains the appearance of some of his work in yesterday's Daily Orbit Update MPEC. He located potentially hazardous asteroid 2003 UV11 in the archive from NEAT's former telescope in Hawaii on 12 November 1996, which "extended the arc from less than ten months to a few months shy of eight years." And he notes that he "was interested to learn that this is one of the few minor planets scheduled for pinging by Goldstone over the next 10 years."
      2003 UV11 was discovered by Brian Skiff at LONEOS in Arizona on 21 October 2003, was found in observations going back to the 2nd of that month, and was followed until November 3rd. It was picked up again by Christian Veillet on 22-23 July 2004 using the University of Hawaii 2.2m telescope, and hasn't been reported since. From its brightness, this object is very roughly estimated at 465 meters/yards wide.

Risk monitoring:  Today's Daily Orbit Update MPEC carries observations of 2004 MN4 from Los Molinos Observatory in Uruguay early yesterday UT. Risk assessment changes today were very slight for 2004 MN4 — up at JPL and down at NEODyS, but converging in their overall ratings even though JPL's assessment covers an additional 22 years and the NEODyS assessment has more impact solutions.

21 January 2005 - Friday

MOS on the Web | ICRAR news | risk monitoring | index | << ^^ >> | top

MOS on the Web – Minor object science reports elsewhere:

  Solar storm

• The advisory at SpaceWeather.com today couldn't be simpler: "If it's dark where you live, go outside and look for auroras."
• "Rare Spate of Solar Storms Bombards Spacecraft," 20 Jan. article: "The storms caused minor glitches on the Sun-watching SOHO spacecraft and forced scientists to put two of its instruments into 'safe mode.' "

  Meteorite on Mars

• "Mars Rover's Meteorite Discovery Triggers Questions," Space.com 20 Jan. article
• "Opportunity Finds an Iron Meteorite," Sky & Telescope 20 Jan. article
• "Mars Opportunity Rover Finds a Meteorite," Space.com 19 Jan. article

  Other news

• Alain Maury's Spaceguard survey 2004 discovery statistics — Editor's comment: This page, which was announced recently on the Minor Planet Mailing list (MPML), would be even more interesting if it didn't group the related, but critically different, Siding Spring Survey and Catalina Sky Survey 2004 results.
• "Deep Impact on Its Way" NASA 18 Jan. news item: "This Jan. 13 photograph was taken by Mt Palomar's 200-inch telescope as the Deep Impact spacecraft was at a distance of about 260,000 kilometers (163,000 miles) from Earth." The mission's page with that image also also has one made by Gary Emerson using a 10-inch telescope.

ICRAR news:  The idea of the new International Consortium of Robotic Astronomical Researchers (ICRAR) having a Main Belt asteroid discovery exercise (see news) seems to be off to a good start. The group's mailing list has been informed of new discovery credits for one MBA by Ulrich Wolff, 2005 BF2, and six by Andrew Lowe, 2005 AC11 through 2005 BA. Wolff told how he had "hung around at the morning stationary point" for some time without success, "Then I changed to the opposition region, and found the object in the very first field I inspected." Of Lowe's catch, the first was found while shooting a gap in the Minor Planet Center's survey sky coverage map, four were found one night while following up on an asteroid he had discovered in survey archives, and the sixth was found while making further observations of the first.

Risk monitoring:  Today's Daily Orbit Update MPEC reports observation of 2004 MN4 on January 2nd from the Bisei Spaceguard Center in Japan. And NEODyS and JPL have updated their 2004 MN4 risk assessments with mixed very slight changes.

20 January 2005 - Thursday

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Risk monitoring:  Observations were reported in today's Daily Orbit Update MPEC of five objects with impact solutions. 2004 MN4 and 2004 VD17 were reported from Tim Spahr at the Whipple Observatory in Arizona early on the 18th UT. 2004 MN4 was also reported from Sandlot Observatory in Kansas early today, and 2004 VD17 from LONEOS in Arizona on December 2nd. 2005 BC is reported from Sormano Observatory in Italy last night and this morning from Sandlot, Table Mountain Observatory in southern California, and the Spacewatch 1.8m telescope in Arizona. And, from yesterday morning, 2005 BE2 is reported from the Spacewatch 1.8m telescope and 2005 BS1 from Spahr/Whipple.
      Today NEODyS and JPL very slightly lowered their 2004 MN4 and 2004 VD17 risk assessments. NEODyS removed all of its impact solutions for 2005 BC, and JPL cut its solution count from 51 to just two low-rated solutions. JPL very slightly raised its 2005 BE2 assessment and NEODyS today posted this object with one low-rated impact solution. And both risk monitors slightly lowered their assessments for 2005 BS1.

19 January 2005 - Wednesday  

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Risk monitoring:  Today NEODyS posted 2005 BS1 (see news yesterday), and the Daily Orbit Update (DOU) MPEC reported observations of 2004 MN4 from Sandlot Observatory in Kansas early yesterday UT, and of 2005 BC from Powell Observatory in Kansas yesterday morning and from Great Shefford Observatory in England last night. Today NEODyS and JPL very slightly lowered their 2004 MN4 risk ratings and slightly raised their risk assessments for 2005 BC.

Update:  JPL has posted 2005 BE2 with impact solutions. This object was announced today in MPEC 2005-B31 as discovered with the Spacewatch 0.9m telescope yesterday morning and confirmed early today from the Whipple Observatory in Arizona (observations coded to Tim Spahr), Desert Moon Observatory in New Mexico, and Junk Bond Observatory in Arizona. JPL puts this object's diameter on the order of 638 meters/yards.
      JPL also today updated its 2004 VD17 risk assessment, with little change, based on observations reported in the DOU of January 17th.