18 Jul '07 Major News

The four currently listed Mars Trojans -- asteroidal objects that share the orbit of Mars. They travel inclined to the plane of that orbit and stay ahead of or behind Mars at the Lagrange L4 or L5 positions. The three blue dots at L5 are, from the bottom up, newly discovered 2007 NS2, 5261 Eureka (1990 MB), and 101429 1998 VF31, while 121514 1999 UJ7 resides at L4. Mars is the red dot and the other terrestrial planets are green dots. The planetary positions are today's, and note that the Mars L5 point is currently at opposition (in line with Earth from the Sun). This diagram was composited at A/CC from the JPL Orbit Viewer. See below for news about 2007 NS2.

Contents on 18 July '07

Minor-Object News -- four items
Minor-Object Science -- one paper
IAU Minor Planet Center
- NEOCP Activity -- six listings: 2 new, 4 updated
- New MPECs -- ten MPECs
- Observers -- 34 observing facilities
Impact Risk Monitoring -- nothing to report
Chronology

Resources:

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Minor-Object News on 18 July '07

Prediscovery & discovery: A second MPEC has been issued for 2007 NS2, an object with an orbit similar to that of Mars -- see below, an orbital diagram above, and "Discovery from Spain" on July 16th. The astrometry published early today comes from LONEOS in Arizona on December 14th of 1998 and from LINEAR in New Mexico on the 23rd of that month, as well as new observations from the discoverer, La Sagra Observatory, early yesterday. This object has now been added to the IAU Mars Trojans list.
The Lulin Sky Survey (LUSS) has its first comet discovery. C/2007 N3 (Lulin) was discovered on July 11th by Quanzhi Ye in China in images made at his direction from Lulin Observatory in Taiwan and was reported in its first MPEC just after midnight this morning -- see below. Current calculations have it on an open retrograde path, coming around the Sun "backward" from the direction most objects travel but nearly in the ecliptic plane and not reaching its closest point to the Sun -- about half way between the orbits of Earth and Mars -- until early January of 2009 (see JPL's Orbit Viewer).
"Pluto's Moon is an Ice Machine," Space.com 17 July - Quote: "Slushy geysers on Pluto's moon Charon apparently coat the tiny world in ice crystals ... trickling out at a glacial pace, researchers say, repaving Charon in a thin layer of 1-millimeter deep ice every 100,000 years."
- "Charon: An Ice Machine in the Ultimate Deep Freeze," Gemini Observatory 17 July - Quote: "Frigid geysers spewing material up through cracks in the crust of Pluto's companion Charon and recoating parts of its surface in ice crystals could be making this distant world into the equivalent of an outer solar system ice machine. Evidence for these ice deposits comes from high-resolution spectra obtained using the Gemini Observatory's Adaptive Optics system, ALTAIR coupled with the near-infrared instrument NIRI."
"Little piece of Sudbury found in Minnesota," Sudbury Star 17 July - Quote: "A Laurentian University geologist says he is intrigued, but skeptical of a report that rock from the meteorite that created the Sudbury basin has been found 700 kilometres away in the United States."

Minor-Object Science on 18 July '07

"A Combined Spitzer and Chandra Survey of Young Stellar Objects in the Serpens Cloud Core" by Winston, E. with S.T. Megeath, S.J. Wolk & 7 others, abstract & PDF at arXiv.org 18 July - Quote: "We present Spitzer and Chandra observations of the nearby (~260 pc) embedded stellar cluster in the Serpens Cloud Core. We observed, using Spitzer's IRAC and MIPS instruments ... to detect thermal emission from circumstellar disks and protostellar envelopes, and to classify stars using color-color diagrams and spectral energy distributions (SEDs). These data are combined with Chandra observations to examine the effects of circumstellar disks on stellar X-ray properties. Young diskless stars were also identified from their increased X-ray emission. We have identified 138 YSOs in Serpens [including 17 transition disk stars]."

NEOCP Activity on 18 July '07

The MPC's NEO Confirmation Page has 6 listings: 2 new, 4 updated

When last checked at 2358 UTC today, the Minor Planet Center's NEO discovery Confirmation Page (NEOCP) had two new and four updated listings. Of these, four were "one nighters." So far Major News has counted a total of eleven objects listed on the NEOCP at some point today.

New MPECs on 18 July '07

Minor Planet Electronic Circulars

As of last check at 2358 UTC, there have been ten MPECs issued today from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

MPEC 2007-O05 time-stamped "00:05 UT" - Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin) - see below
MPEC 2007-O06 time-stamped "00:48 UT" - 2007 LV - see below
MPEC 2007-O07 time-stamped "01:36 UT" - 2004 BB - see below
MPEC 2007-O08 time-stamped "01:40 UT" - 2005 PL21, 2005 PS21, 2006 HB123 - see below
MPEC 2007-O09 time-stamped "01:48 UT" - 2007 NS2 - see below
MPEC 2007-O10 time-stamped "02:55 UT" - Comet C/2007 O1 (LINEAR) - see below
MPEC 2007-O11 time-stamped "06:06 UT" - Daily Orbit Update - see below
MPEC 2007-O12 time-stamped "14:35 UT" - 2007 NS4 - see below
MPEC 2007-O13 time-stamped "14:37 UT" - 2007 NT4 - see below
MPEC 2007-O14 time-stamped "14:39 UT" - 2007 OV

MPEC 2007-O14 - "14:39 UT" - 2007 OV

K07O00V 2007 OV (Q=4.117 AU, H=19.1 ~513m) was discovered at 1722 UT 16 July by the Siding Spring Survey (SSS), which observed it at July 16.72-76p4 and 16.82-83p10. The discovery was confirmed by Mt. John Obs. (July 18.43-44p4).

MPEC 2007-O13 - "14:37 UT" - 2007 NT4

K07N04T 2007 NT4 (small asteroid, H=23.8 ~59m) was discovered at 1532 UT 15 July by SSS, which observed it at July 15.65-68p4, 15.76p1, and 16.63-66p6. The discovery was confirmed by Mt. John Obs. (July 18.46-47p4).

MPEC 2007-O12 - "14:35 UT" - 2007 NS4

K07N04S 2007 NS4 (H=19.2 ~490m) was discovered at 1414 UT 15 July by SSS, which observed it at July 15.59-63p4, 15.69p2, and 16.62p2. The discovery was confirmed by Mt. John Obs. (July 18.38p3).

<< DOU on 18 July '07 >> MPEC 2007-O11 - "06:06 UT" - Daily Orbit Update

K07N00Q 2007 NQ (arc=6 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from Stia Obs. (July 16.83-86p5) and Santa Mama Obs. (July 16.86-89p3)
K07M24B 2007 MB24 (i=47.7°, arc=23 days, H=18.4 ~708m) from Petit Jean Mtn. South Obs. (PJMSO) (July 17.27-28p5)
K07M20T 2007 MT20 (arc=23 days, H=18.7 ~616m) from PJMSO (July 17.30-31p5)
K07L32R 2007 LR32 (arc=53 days, H=17.3 ~1.17 km) from New Millennium Obs. (July 13.98-07p14) and PJMSO (July 17.38p6)
K07L15B 2007 LB15 (arc=34 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from PJMSO (July 17.33-34p6)
K07L15A 2007 LA15 (arc=35 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from Santa Mama Obs. (July 17.89-90p2)
K07L08V 2007 LV8 (arc=35 days, H=20.2 ~309m) from Stia Obs. (July 16.87-92p5) and PJMSO (July 17.25-26p6)
K07L00F 2007 LF (arc=40 days, H=20.5 ~269m) from PJMSO (July 17.26-27p6)
K07K04N 2007 KN4 (Q=5.443 AU, arc=54 days, H=17.1 ~1.29 km) from Schiaparelli Obs. (July 13.06-07p2)
K07H82X 2007 HX82 (Q=4.096 AU, arc=82 days, H=20.4 ~282m) from PJMSO (July 17.29-30p5)
K07H15E 2007 HE15 (arc=86 days, H=19.7 ~389m) from LINEAR (July 17.39-41p3)
K07DA3T 2007 DT103 (arc=140 days, H=18.9 ~562m) from Crimean Astrophysical Obs. (CrAO) (July 10.81-83p22)
K07C26K 2007 CK26 (arc=2 opp, H=19.1 ~513m) from PJMSO (July 17.28-29p5)
K07C15H 2007 CH15 (arc=158 days, H=21.5 ~170m) from Astronomical Research Obs. (ARO) (July 16.11-14p4)
K06X00A 2006 XA (arc=228 days, H=17.3 ~1.17 km) from PJMSO (July 17.38-39p5)
K04S09T 2004 ST9 (arc=2 opp, H=18.0 ~851m) from PJMSO (July 17.31-33p5)
K03H02F 2003 HF2 (q=0.361 AU, arc=4 opp, H=19.6 ~407m) from PJMSO (July 17.23-24p5)
K01R17V 2001 RV17 (arc=2 opp, H=20.3 ~295m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (July 12.99-00p3)
J99V06O 1999 VO6 (i=40.1°, q=0.297 AU, arc=8 opp, H=17.0 ~1.35 km) from PJMSO (July 17.35-36p6)
J95L00G 1995 LG (i=43.6°, q=0.223 AU, arc=4 opp, H=18.7 ~616m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (July 13.01-02p4)
E5656 145656 4788 P-L from Camarillo Obs. (July 12.21p2) and LINEAR (July 17.22-25p5)
87309 87309 2000 QP from Gualba Obs. (July 15.07p3)
86324 86324 1999 WA2 from Schiaparelli Obs. (July 13.03p3) and LINEAR (July 17.27-30p4)
85275 85275 1994 LY from Thousand Oaks Obs. (July 17.25p1, 17.33p1 & 17.41p1)
05143 5143 Heracles (1991 VL) from LINEAR (July 17.34-36p3)

MPEC 2007-O10 - "02:55 UT" - Comet C/2007 O1 (LINEAR)

CK07O010 C/2007 O1 (i=24.4°, q=2.905 AU, TP=2007 July 1.763 TT) from LINEAR (July 15.28-32p5, 16.25-27p3 & 17.22-26p9), Remanzacco Obs. (July 17.88-91p6), Farra d'Isonzo Obs. (July 17.89-91p5), Great Shefford Obs. (July 17.92-93p2), Alter Satzberg Obs. (July 17.93-94p4), Ceccano Obs. (July 18.00-01p2), Vallemare di Borbona Obs. (July 18.04-06p2), and Zvezdno Obshtestvo Obs. (July 18.05p2)

MPEC 2007-O09 - "01:48 UT" - 2007 NS2

K07N02S 2007 NS2 (H=17.8 ~933m) from LONEOS (1998 Dec. 14.42-48p3), LINEAR (1998 Dec. 23.31-35p5), and La Sagra Obs. (July 17.05-08p5)

MPEC 2007-O08 - "01:40 UT" - 2005 PL21, 2005 PS21, 2006 HB123

K06HC3B 2006 HB123 (q=40.136 AU, Q=48.685 AU, H=6.9 ~141 km) from Cerro Tololo Inter-American Obs. (CTIO) (April 22.27p1 at R=22.6 & 22.34p1) and Las Campanas Obs. (July 12.01p1 & 12.10p1)
K05P21S 2005 PS21 (q=41.023 AU, Q=47.896 AU, H=6.2 ~195 km) from CTIO (2006 Aug. 21.18p1 & 2006 Aug. 21.27p1) and Las Campanas Obs. (July 11.36p1 & 11.41p1)
K05P21L 2005 PL21 (q=40.067 AU, Q=53.276 AU, H=6.2 ~195 km) from CTIO (2006 Aug. 21.16p1 at R=22.1, 2006 Aug. 21.26p1 & 2006 Aug. 22.16p1) and Las Campanas Obs. (July 11.34p1 & 11.39p1)

MPEC 2007-O07 - "01:36 UT" - 2004 BB

K04B00B 2004 BB (H=19.5 ~426m) from ARO (July 7.35-37p2 at V=22.3-4, 12.33-35p2 at V=22.4, 14.31-33p2 at V=22.4 & 16.29-32p3 at V=22.3-4)

MPEC 2007-O06 - "00:48 UT" - 2007 LV

K07L00V 2007 LV (H=18.2 ~776m) from NEAT's Mt. Palomar telescope (2002 April 10.33-37p3, 2002 April 21.28p1, 2002 April 21.32p1, 2002 May 4.25-27p2, 2002 May 5.23-28p3 & 2002 May 13.17-21p3)

MPEC 2007-O05 - "00:05 UT" - Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin)

CK07N030 C/2007 N3 (Lulin) (i=178.4°, q=1.188 AU, TP=2009 Jan. 7.354 TT) from the Lulin Sky Survey (LUSS) (July 11.78-80p3, 13.75-77p7 & 13.84p3), Ceccano Obs. (July 13.09p2 & 14.02p2), Mt. John Obs. (July 13.57-58p3), Guidestar Obs. (July 13.94-98p3), Remanzacco Obs. (July 13.97-99p2, 14.98-06p5 & 17.02-06p3), Wildberg Obs. (July 13.98-99p3 & 14.99p3), Eschenberg Obs. (July 14.06p3 & 14.96-97p3), ARO (July 14.29-30p3), Naef Obs. (July 14.99-01p2), Schiaparelli Obs. (July 15.01p1 & 15.06p1), Mallorca Obs. (July 15.07-08p3), Pla D'Arguines Obs. (July 15.09-10p5), SSS (July 15.64p1 & 15.70p1), Table Mtn. Obs. (July 16.44-46p4 & 17.41-44p4), Farra d'Isonzo Obs. (July 17.01-03p2), and the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) (July 17.41-43p4)

Observers on 18 July '07

A total of 34 observing facilities appear in today's MPECs.

`B03`	Alter Satzberg Obs. in Austria, 1 in MPEC 2007-O10 -- C/2007 O1
`H55`	Astronomical Research Obs. in Illinois, 3 in MPECs 2007-O05, 2007-O07 & 2007-O11 -- 2007 CH15, 2004 BB, C/2007 N3
`670`	Camarillo Obs. in southern California, 1 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 145656
`703`	Catalina Sky Survey in Arizona, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`470`	Ceccano Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPECs 2007-O05 & 2007-O10 -- C/2007 O1, C/2007 N3
`807`	Cerro Tololo Inter-American Obs. in Chile, 3 in MPEC 2007-O08 -- 2006 HB123, 2005 PS21, 2005 PL21
`095`	Crimean Astrophysical Obs. in the Ukraine, 1 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 2007 DT103
`151`	Eschenberg Obs. in Switzerland, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`595`	Farra d'Isonzo Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPECs 2007-O05 & 2007-O10 -- C/2007 O1, C/2007 N3
`J95`	Great Shefford Obs. in England, 1 in MPEC 2007-O10 -- C/2007 O1
`442`	Gualba Obs. in Spain, 1 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 87309
`A17`	Guidestar Obs. in Germany, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`704`	LINEAR in New Mexico, 6 in MPECs 2007-O09, 2007-O10 & 2007-O11 -- 2007 HE15, 145656, 86324, 5143, C/2007 O1, 2007 NS2
`699`	LONEOS in Arizona, 1 in MPEC 2007-O09 -- 2007 NS2
`J75`	La Sagra Obs. in Spain, 1 in MPEC 2007-O09 -- 2007 NS2
`304`	Las Campanas Obs. in Chile, 3 in MPEC 2007-O08 -- 2006 HB123, 2005 PS21, 2005 PL21
`D35`	Lulin Sky Survey in Taiwan, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`620`	Mallorca Obs. in Mallorca, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`474`	Mt. John Obs. in New Zealand, 4 in MPECs 2007-O05, 2007-O12, 2007-O13 & 2007-O14 -- 2007 OV, 2007 NT4, 2007 NS4, C/2007 N3
`644`	NEAT's Mt. Palomar telescope in southern California, 1 in MPEC 2007-O06 -- 2007 LV
`A13`	Naef Obs. in Switzerland, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`A24`	New Millennium Obs. in Italy, 1 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 2007 LR32
`H45`	Petit Jean Mtn. South Obs. in Arkansas, 12 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 2007 MB24, 2007 MT20, 2007 LR32, 2007 LB15, 2007 LV8, 2007 LF, 2007 HX82, 2007 CK26, 2006 XA, 2004 ST9, 2003 HF2, 1999 VO6
`941`	Pla D'Arguines Obs. in Spain, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`473`	Remanzacco Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPECs 2007-O05 & 2007-O10 -- C/2007 O1, C/2007 N3
`B38`	Santa Mama Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 2007 NQ, 2007 LA15
`204`	Schiaparelli Obs. in Italy, 5 in MPECs 2007-O05 & 2007-O11 -- 2007 KN4, 2001 RV17, 1995 LG, 86324, C/2007 N3
`E12`	Siding Spring Survey in New South Wales, 4 in MPECs 2007-O05, 2007-O12, 2007-O13 & 2007-O14 -- 2007 OV, 2007 NT4, 2007 NS4, C/2007 N3
`A78`	Stia Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 2007 NQ, 2007 LV8
`673`	Table Mtn. Obs. in southern California, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`G69`	Thousand Oaks Obs. in southern California, 1 in MPEC 2007-O11 -- 85275
`A55`	Vallemare di Borbona Obs. in Italy, 1 in MPEC 2007-O10 -- C/2007 O1
`198`	Wildberg Obs. in Germany, 1 in MPEC 2007-O05 -- C/2007 N3
`A79`	Zvezdno Obshtestvo Obs. in Bulgaria, 1 in MPEC 2007-O10 -- C/2007 O1

Impact Risk Monitoring on 18 July '07

At last check (NEODyS and JPL at 2357 UTC) there was no risk monitoring news to report yet today.

Chronology on 18 July '07

Times are UTC for when the items were noted or added by Major News.

2153	Added news report, "Prediscovery & discovery"
1909	Grabbed MPEC 2007-O12 - 2007 NS4 - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-O13 - 2007 NT4 - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-O14 - 2007 OV - see above
1502	Added MOS paper, "A Combined Spitzer and Chandra Survey of Young Stellar Objects in the Serpens Cloud Core" - see above
1435	Grabbed MPEC 2007-O11 - Daily Orbit Update - see above
0552	Added link to news story, "Charon: An Ice Machine in the Ultimate Deep Freeze" Added link to news story, "Pluto's Moon is an Ice Machine" Added link to news story, "Little piece of Sudbury found in Minnesota"
0424	Grabbed MPEC 2007-O07 - 2004 BB - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-O08 - 2005 PL21, 2005 PS21, 2006 HB123 - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-O09 - 2007 NS2 - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-O10 - Comet C/2007 O1 (LINEAR) - see above
0131	Grabbed MPEC 2007-O05 - Comet C/2007 N3 (Lulin) - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-O06 - 2007 LV - see above

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