Early on this day UTC eight years ago, NASA's Deep Space 1 mission flew past 9969 Braille (1992 KD), a large asteroid (2.2 x 1 km.) that is spectographically similar to 4 Vesta. A number of last-minute problems prevented close-up imagery and only this enhanced low-resolution image was obtained from a distance. Credit: NASA JPL.
Contents on 29 July '07
- Minor-Object News -- two items
- Minor-Object Science -- one paper
- IAU Minor Planet Center
- NEOCP Activity -- three listings: 2 new, 1 updated
- New MPECs -- one MPEC
- Observers -- five observing facilities
- Impact Risk Monitoring -- nothing to report
- Chronology
Resources:
- Consolidated Risk Tables - CRT page
- Ephemerides for risk-rated objects
- Ephemerides for small asteroids
The latest news: framed access (best), RSS news feed (flags updates), or redirection - Note: A/CC has a main Web site and a backup site.
Navigation tips: Use the << and >> arrows on the menus for each regular section (Observers, Risks, etc.) to move to the previous and next day's news for that section. Use the Index menu item to access specific days this year through a calendar interface. And use the all-up news archive to access news from any time since A/CC began in early 2002. To keep track of what's new each day, watch the Chronology section.
Minor-Object News on 29 July '07
- "Astronomic success," Arizona Daily Star 29 July - Quote: "Planetary scientists at the UA are more likely to be geologists than astronomers, and are just as likely to be engineers or chemists... That interdisciplinary cooperation, a hallmark of the UA's space studies, began with the arrival in 1960 of astronomer Gerard P. Kuiper... [He] sought out a broad base of experts in lunar studies, planetary atmospheres, asteroids, infrared astronomy and spectroscopic analysis. He recruited geologists and taught them astronomy, and hired a mining geologist to teach astronomers geology." - Note: See also reporting on how "Planetary research is science on a grand time scale," requiring that mission leadership includes both older experienced scientists and promising members of the next generation who will still be on the job when a mission reaches completion, such as the University of Arizona's proposed OSIRIS asteroid sample return mission. Other items in this series about UA astronomy can be found here.
- "Masses of data from space available to citizen scientists," Arizona Daily Star 29 July - Quote: "After it is pulled in by the Deep Space Network of antennae on Earth, most [NASA] spacecraft data now goes to the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., and soon after to the Planetary Data System... Anyone with Web access can view and use the information... 'There's an awful lot of smart people out there,' says [UA Lunar Lab director Michael] Drake. 'And they might not all be on the missions.'"
Minor-Object Science on 29 July '07
- "The orbital and spatial distribution of the Kuiper belt" by Kavelaars, JJ with Lynne Jones, Brett Gladman & 2 others, PDF from Canada France Ecliptic Plane Survey 2007 - Quote: "Models of the evolution of Neptune's migration and the dynamical processes at work during the formation of the outer solar system can be constrained by measuring the orbital distribution of the remnant planetesimals in the Kuiper belt. Determining the true orbit distribution is not simple because the detection and tracking of KBOs is a highly biased process. [We] detail the various biases [and] present observational and analysis strategies that can help to minimize the effects of these biases on the inferred orbital distributions. We find that material currently classified as the classical Kuiper belt is well represented by 2 sub-populations: a high-inclination component that spans and uniformly fills the stable phase space between 30 and 47 AU combined with a low-inclination, low-eccentricity population enhancement between 42 and 45 AU. The low-i, low-e component may be that thing which has long been called the 'Kuiper belt'. We also find strong evidence that the high-i component of the classical Kuiper belt does not extend beyond the 2:1 mean-motion resonance with Neptune. The scattering/detatched disk ... population is likely at least as large as the classical Kuiper belt population and has an i/e distribution much like that of the hot classical Kuiper belt. We also find that the fraction of objects in the 3:2 resonance is likely around 20%... Additionally, high-order mean motion resonance plays a substantial role in the structure of the Kuiper belt."
NEOCP Activity on 29 July '07
The MPC's NEO Confirmation Page has 3 listings: 2 new, 1 updated
When last checked at 2354 UTC today, the Minor Planet Center's NEO discovery Confirmation Page (NEOCP) had two new and one updated listings. Of these, one was a "one nighter."
To learn how observers use the NEOCP, see Suno Observatory's Practical guide on how to observe NEOCP object.
New MPECs on 29 July '07
Minor Planet Electronic Circulars
As of last check at 2354 UTC, there has been one MPEC issued today from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
<< DOU on 29 July '07 >> MPEC 2007-O53 - "06:07 UT" - Daily Orbit Update
- Observations of small asteroids (H>22.0)
- K07O03H 2007 OH3 (arc=8 days, H=24.6 ~41m) from Stia Obs. (July 27.91-94p3)
- Observations of other objects
- K07N05C 2007 NC5 (q=0.278 AU, Q=4.617 AU, arc=23 days, H=17.9 ~891m) from Stia Obs. (July 27.89-90p3)
- K07M24B 2007 MB24 (i=47.7°, arc=33 days, H=18.2 ~776m) from New Millennium Obs. (July 17.98-00p4)
- K07L32R 2007 LR32 (arc=65 days, H=17.2 ~1.23 km) from New Millennium Obs. (July 27.02-08p8), Iluro Obs. (July 27.05-06p2), Santa Mama Obs. (July 27.94-96p4), and Schiaparelli Obs. (July 28.00p2 & 29.06-07p3)
- K07G03S 2007 GS3 (arc=99 days, H=19.4 ~446m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (May 18.10p1)
- K06J42F 2006 JF42 (q=0.281 AU, arc=2 opp, H=19.0 ~537m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (May 19.86p1)
- K05X77W 2005 XW77 (arc=2 opp, H=20.9 ~224m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (July 26.94p1)
- K04S09T 2004 ST9 (arc=2 opp, H=18.0 ~851m) from New Millennium Obs. (July 17.95-00p8 & 26.01p2) and Santa Mama Obs. (July 27.89-92p4)
- K03M09T 2003 MT9 (q=0.200 AU, Q=4.874 AU, arc=2 opp, H=18.7 ~616m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (July 26.08p5)
- D6818 136818 1997 MW1 from New Millennium Obs. (July 17.89p2 & 17.94p2)
- 85275 85275 1994 LY from New Millennium Obs. (July 17.90-95p8)
- 05143 5143 Heracles (1991 VL) from New Millennium Obs. (July 27.01p1 & 27.06p2) and Iluro Obs. (July 28.08-09p2)
Observers on 29 July '07
Five observing facilities appear in today's MPECs.
| B19 | Iluro Obs. in Spain, 2 in MPEC 2007-O53 -- 2007 LR32, 5143 |
| A24 | New Millennium Obs. in Italy, 6 in MPEC 2007-O53 -- 2007 MB24, 2007 LR32, 2004 ST9, 136818, 85275, 5143 |
| B38 | Santa Mama Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPEC 2007-O53 -- 2007 LR32, 2004 ST9 |
| 204 | Schiaparelli Obs. in Italy, 5 in MPEC 2007-O53 -- 2007 LR32, 2007 GS3, 2006 JF42, 2005 XW77, 2003 MT9 |
| A78 | Stia Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPEC 2007-O53 -- 2007 OH3, 2007 NC5 |
Impact Risk Monitoring on 29 July '07
At last check (NEODyS and JPL at 2354 UTC) there was no risk monitoring news to report yet today. See the CRT for activity in the last month.
Chronology on 29 July '07
Times are UTC for when the items were noted or added by Major News.
| 1806 | Added MOS paper, "The orbital and spatial distribution of the Kuiper belt" - see above Added link to news story, "Astronomic success" Added link to news story, "Masses of data from space available to citizen scientists" |
| 1451 | Grabbed MPEC 2007-O53 - Daily Orbit Update - see above |
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