Five years ago today the NASA Contour mission to comet 2P/Encke fired up its kick rocket to boost out of Earth orbit and was never heard from again. The next day Spacewatch published this image from its 1.8-meter telescope, showing "two objects ... near one of the predicted positions of the Contour spacecraft" at a little more than one lunar distance from Earth and separated by about 460 km. Another piece may also have been located much further away. See A/CC's chronicle of these events. ©Copyright 2002 The Spacewatch Project, Univ. Ariz. LPL.
Contents on 15 August '07
- Minor-Object News -- three items
- Minor-Object Science -- two papers
- IAU Minor Planet Center
- NEOCP Activity -- one listing: 1 new
- New MPECs -- three MPECs
- Observers -- 27 observing facilities
- Impact Risk Monitoring -- three objects reported
- 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 15 August '07
- "Comet May Have Exploded Over North America 13,000 Years Ago," U.S. NSF 14 Aug. - Quote: "[A scientific team found a layer with] high concentrations of iridium, an element that is rare on Earth, and is almost exclusively associated with extraterrestrial objects such as comets and meteorites. They also found metallic microspherules in the comet fragments; these microspherules contained nano-diamonds. The comet also carried carbon molecules called fullerenes (buckyballs), with gases trapped inside that indicated an extraterrestrial origin." - Note: For more about this, see news links from May 22nd and the days immediately before and after. {permalink}
- "Meteors Past and Future," Cosmic Log at MSNBC 14 Aug. - Quote: "Now that the fireworks have settled down, skywatchers say the weekend's Perseid meteor shower performed about as expected - with fantastic displays separated by not-so-fantastic delays... [Peter] Jenniskens said the statistics for the Perseids pretty much matched the predictions, rising to a rate of around 86 meteors per hour at 6 a.m. ET Monday." - Note: There's also info here about the coming Aurigids special event prediction. See A/CC's report for more links. {permalink}
- "Prairie Meteorite Search comes to Melfort," Melfort Journal 14 Aug. - Quote: "The next stop is going to be Kindersley and then Rosetown, and Outlook to cover west central Saskatchewan. 'I'm also stopping in Humboldt... After that I'm heading out to Davidson, and then Yorkton' [said Nathan Seon, a University of Regina undergraduate geology student, who also is working for the universities of Calgary and Western Ontario]." - Note: See also Prairie Meteorite Search. {permalink}
Minor-Object Science on 15 August '07
- "Specific Angular Momentum of Extrasolar Planetary Systems" by Armstrong, John C. with Shane L. Larson & Rhett R. Zollinger, abstract & PDF at arXiv.org 15 Aug. - Quote: "Angular momentum in our solar system is largely distributed between the Sun's rotation and the planetary orbits, with most of it residing in the orbital angular momentum of Jupiter. By treating the solar system as a two body central potential between the Sun and Jupiter, one can show that the orbital specific angular momentum of the two-body system exceeds the solar rotational specific angular momentum by nearly two orders of magnitude. We extend this analysis to the known extrasolar planets... Planets in systems with high specific angular momentum have masses greater than two Jupiter masses, while those in systems with low specific angular momentum are below two Jupiter masses. This leads to the conclusion that low mass planets lose angular momentum more efficiently, and are thus more prone to migration, than larger mass planets." {permalink}
- "A discontinuity in the low-mass initial mass function" by Thies, Ingo with Pavel Kroupa, abstract & PDF at arXiv.org 15 Aug. - Quote: "The origin of brown dwarfs (BDs) is still an unsolved mystery. While the standard model describes the formation of BDs and stars in a similar way recent data on the multiplicity properties of stars and BDs show them to have different binary distribution functions. Here we show that proper treatment of these uncovers a discontinuity of the multiplicity-corrected mass distribution in the very-low-mass star (VLMS) and BD mass regime. A continuous IMF can be discarded with extremely high confidence. This suggests that VLMSs and BDs on the one hand, and stars on the other, are two correlated but disjoint populations with different dynamical histories. The analysis presented here suggests that about one BD forms per five stars and that the BD-star binary fraction is about 2%-3% among stellar systems." {permalink}
NEOCP Activity on 15 August '07
The MPC's NEO Confirmation Page has 1 listing: 1 new
When last checked at 2305 UTC today, the Minor Planet Center's NEO discovery Confirmation Page (NEOCP) had one new listing. This was a "one nighter." So far Major News has counted a total of seven objects listed on the NEOCP at some point today.
To learn how observers use the NEOCP, see Suno Observatory's Practical guide on how to observe NEOCP object.
New MPECs on 15 August '07
Minor Planet Electronic Circulars
As of last check at 2305 UTC, there have been three MPECs issued today from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- MPEC 2007-P55 time-stamped "06:08 UT" - Daily Orbit Update - see below
- MPEC 2007-P56 time-stamped "11:30 UT" - 2007 PV27 - see below
- MPEC 2007-P57 time-stamped "21:26 UT" - 2007 PF28
MPEC 2007-P57 - "21:26 UT" - 2007 PF28
- K07P28F 2007 PF28 (Earth MOID=6.6 LD, H=19.0 ~537m) was discovered at 0719 UT 15 Aug. by LINEAR, which observed it at Aug. 15.31-33p3. The discovery was confirmed by Farra d'Isonzo Obs. (Aug. 15.86p3), Remanzacco Obs. (Aug. 15.86-87p3), and Alter Satzberg Obs. (Aug. 15.86-87p4).
MPEC 2007-P56 - "11:30 UT" - 2007 PV27
- K07P27V 2007 PV27 (risk-listed, Earth MOID=0.4 LD, H=20.5 ~269m) was discovered at 1334 UT 14 Aug. by the Siding Spring Survey (SSS), which observed it at Aug. 14.57-60p3, 14.68p1, and 14.75p1. The discovery was confirmed by Tivoli Obs. (Aug. 14.97p4), Schiaparelli Obs. (Aug. 14.99-00p3), E. Guido via RAS Obs. Mayhill (Aug. 15.21-23p2), Hibiscus Obs. (Aug. 15.32-33p2), and Mt. John Obs. (Aug. 15.35-36p5).
<< DOU on 15 Aug. '07 >> MPEC 2007-P55 - "06:08 UT" - Daily Orbit Update
- Observations of risk-listed objects
- K07P25R 2007 PR25 (almost small, q=0.304 AU, arc=2 days, H=21.8 ~148m) from Remanzacco Obs. (Aug. 14.84-86p3), Gnosca Obs. (Aug. 14.85-87p4), and Alter Satzberg Obs. (Aug. 14.86-88p5)
- K07P08A 2007 PA8 (Q=4.955 AU, arc=6 days, H=15.4 ~2.82 km, q=0.867 AU) from Klet Obs. (Aug. 14.90p2), Suno Obs. (Aug. 14.91-92p3), and Parma Obs. (Aug. 14.92-94p3)
- Observations of small asteroids (H>22.0)
- K07P25S 2007 PS25 (arc=2 days, H=25.0 ~34m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (Aug. 15.05p4)
- K07P09S 2007 PS9 (arc=3 days, H=23.5 ~68m) from Guidestar Obs. (Aug. 14.86-91p3) and Alter Satzberg Obs. (Aug. 14.98-00p5)
- K07P09Q 2007 PQ9 (arc=4 days, H=22.1 ~129m) from Alter Satzberg Obs. (Aug. 15.02-03p3)
- K00P08N 2000 PN8 (arc=2 opp, H=22.1 ~129m) from Schiaparelli Obs. (Aug. 15.05-07p4)
- Observations of other objects
- K07P25H 2007 PH25 (i=54.1°, Q=4.987 AU, arc=2 days, H=16.5 ~1.70 km) from SSS (Aug. 14.77p8)
- K07P11U 2007 PU11 (Q=4.504 AU, arc=49 days, H=16.3 ~1.86 km) from Astronomical Research Obs. (ARO) (Aug. 14.29-30p3), LINEAR (Aug. 14.33-38p8), and Guido/RAS Mayhill (Aug. 14.38-40p2)
- K07P09P 2007 PP9 (arc=4 days, H=21.1 ~204m) from Alter Satzberg Obs. (Aug. 15.05-06p4)
- K07P08E 2007 PE8 (arc=4 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from LINEAR (Aug. 14.20-26p10), Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.83p4), and Klet Obs. (Aug. 14.91p6)
- K07P08B 2007 PB8 (arc=4 days, H=20.7 ~245m) from program code 2 via Crimean Astrophysical Obs. (CrAO) (Aug. 13.87p4) and Parma Obs. (Aug. 14.98-99p3)
- K07P06F 2007 PF6 (arc=7 days, H=20.7 ~245m) from Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.90p2)
- K07L32R 2007 LR32 (arc=81 days, H=17.2 ~1.23 km) from Bisei Spaceguard Center (Bisei) (Aug. 8.71-73p4), Hadano Obs. (Aug. 11.57-58p3), Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. (Aug. 14.60-62p13), Herrenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.87-88p10), and Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.87-88p7)
- K07H15E 2007 HE15 (arc=114 days, H=19.6 ~407m) from Hadano Obs. (Aug. 12.70-71p3) and Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.86-87p3)
- K07F42V 2007 FV42 (arc=147 days, H=17.9 ~891m) from Tivoli Obs. (Aug. 13.97p4)
- K07F01K 2007 FK1 (arc=150 days, H=20.2 ~309m) from Tivoli Obs. (Aug. 13.91-92p4)
- K07F01E 2007 FE1 (arc=150 days, H=18.8 ~589m) from Tivoli Obs. (Aug. 13.96p6) and SSS (Aug. 14.52-55p4)
- K07DA3T 2007 DT103 (arc=170 days, H=19.1 ~513m) from LINEAR (Aug. 14.28-32p4) and Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. (Aug. 14.77-79p13)
- K07C26K 2007 CK26 (arc=2 opp, H=19.0 ~537m) from Hadano Obs. (Aug. 12.55-56p4), Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. (Aug. 14.58-59p3), Wildberg Obs. (Aug. 14.83-84p4), and Klet Obs. (Aug. 14.88p7)
- K05G22O 2005 GO22 (q=0.336 AU, arc=2 opp, H=18.7 ~616m) from LINEAR (Aug. 14.15-20p5)
- K04X14P 2004 XP14 (arc=2 opp, H=19.4 ~446m) from ARO (Aug. 14.08-10p3)
- K04S09T 2004 ST9 (arc=2 opp, H=18.0 ~851m) from New Millennium Obs. (Aug. 11.90p1) and Wildberg Obs. (Aug. 14.86p3)
- K04B11E 2004 BE11 (arc=2 opp, H=19.3 ~467m) from LINEAR (Aug. 14.27-31p4)
- K03W25M 2003 WM25 (Q=4.100 AU, arc=2 opp, H=17.6 ~1.02 km) from Tivoli Obs. (Aug. 13.86-87p4)
- K03SM2W 2003 SW222 (arc=3 opp, H=17.2 ~1.23 km) from LINEAR (Aug. 14.27-30p3)
- K03R07X 2003 RX7 (arc=3 opp, H=18.5 ~676m) from Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.88-89p4)
- K03B43B 2003 BB43 (i=40.9°, arc=3 opp, H=17.1 ~1.29 km) from Purple Mtn. Obs. XuYi Station (Aug. 13.71-74p4)
- K02N04N 2002 NN4 (arc=4 opp, H=20.0 ~339m) from Hadano Obs. (Aug. 11.59-60p3), Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.85p7), and Herrenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.89p6)
- J99J03U 1999 JU3 (arc=4 opp, H=19.2 ~490m) from Bisei (Aug. 9.65-71p5, 10.57-58p2, 10.67-68p3 & 11.76p3) and Hadano Obs. (Aug. 12.62-64p4)
- E5656 145656 4788 P-L from New Millennium Obs. (Aug. 11.87-91p6), Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.82p7), and Herrenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.84-85p7)
- 87309 87309 2000 QP from Herrenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.85-86p5)
- 86324 86324 1999 WA2 from New Millennium Obs. (Aug. 11.89-93p6), LINEAR (Aug. 14.21-25p5), and Eschenberg Obs. (Aug. 14.81p7)
- 85275 85275 1994 LY from New Millennium Obs. (Aug. 11.87-91p6) and Red Barn Obs. (Aug. 15.09-13p7)
- 54686 54686 2001 DU8 from LINEAR (Aug. 14.35-38p4)
- 16636 16636 1993 QP from Gualba Obs. (Aug. 13.95p3)
- 02100 2100 Ra-Shalom (1978 RA) from LINEAR (Aug. 14.40-45p5)
Observers on 15 August '07
A total of 27 observing facilities appear in today's MPECs.
| B03 | Alter Satzberg Obs. in Austria, 5 in MPECs 2007-P55 & 2007-P57 -- 2007 PF28, 2007 PR25, 2007 PS9, 2007 PQ9, 2007 PP9 |
| H55 | Astronomical Research Obs. in Illinois, 2 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PU11, 2004 XP14 |
| 300 | Bisei Spaceguard Center in Japan, 2 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 LR32, 1999 JU3 |
| 0952 | program code 2 via Crimean Astrophysical Obs. in the Ukraine, 1 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PB8 |
| 151 | Eschenberg Obs. in Switzerland, 8 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PE8, 2007 PF6, 2007 LR32, 2007 HE15, 2003 RX7, 2002 NN4, 145656, 86324 |
| 595 | Farra d'Isonzo Obs. in Italy, 1 in MPEC 2007-P57 -- 2007 PF28 |
| 143 | Gnosca Obs. in Switzerland, 1 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PR25 |
| 442 | Gualba Obs. in Spain, 1 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 16636 |
| A17 | Guidestar Obs. in Germany, 1 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PS9 |
| 355 | Hadano Obs. in Japan, 5 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 LR32, 2007 HE15, 2007 CK26, 2002 NN4, 1999 JU3 |
| 379 | Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. in Japan, 3 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 LR32, 2007 DT103, 2007 CK26 |
| 240 | Herrenberg Obs. in Germany, 4 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 LR32, 2002 NN4, 145656, 87309 |
| F84 | Hibiscus Obs. in Tahiti, 1 in MPEC 2007-P56 -- 2007 PV27 |
| 046 | Klet Obs. in the Czech Republic, 3 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PA8, 2007 PE8, 2007 CK26 |
| 704 | LINEAR in New Mexico, 10 in MPECs 2007-P55 & 2007-P57 -- 2007 PF28, 2007 PU11, 2007 PE8, 2007 DT103, 2005 GO22, 2004 BE11, 2003 SW222, 86324, 54686, 2100 |
| 474 | Mt. John Obs. in New Zealand, 1 in MPEC 2007-P56 -- 2007 PV27 |
| A24 | New Millennium Obs. in Italy, 4 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2004 ST9, 145656, 86324, 85275 |
| A56 | Parma Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PA8, 2007 PB8 |
| D29 | Purple Mtn. Obs. XuYi Station in China, 1 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2003 BB43 |
| H06% | E. Guido in Italy via RAS Obs. Mayhill in New Mexico, 2 in MPECs 2007-P55 & 2007-P56 -- 2007 PV27, 2007 PU11 |
| H68 | Red Barn Obs. in Georgia, 1 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 85275 |
| 473 | Remanzacco Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPECs 2007-P55 & 2007-P57 -- 2007 PF28, 2007 PR25 |
| 204 | Schiaparelli Obs. in Italy, 3 in MPECs 2007-P55 & 2007-P56 -- 2007 PV27, 2007 PS25, 2000 PN8 |
| E12 | Siding Spring Survey in New South Wales, 3 in MPECs 2007-P55 & 2007-P56 -- 2007 PV27, 2007 PH25, 2007 FE1 |
| 147 | Suno Obs. in Italy, 1 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 PA8 |
| 194 | Tivoli Obs. in Namibia, 5 in MPECs 2007-P55 & 2007-P56 -- 2007 PV27, 2007 FV42, 2007 FK1, 2007 FE1, 2003 WM25 |
| 198 | Wildberg Obs. in Germany, 2 in MPEC 2007-P55 -- 2007 CK26, 2004 ST9 |
Impact Risk Monitoring on 15 August '07
| 0000NNN000 Object | Risk Monitor | When Noted UTC | 0000T0000 Year Range | VI # | 000NN00 Prob Cum | T0000 PS Cum | T0000 PS Max | T S | Notes for Today's Latest Risk Assessments |
| 2007 PV27 | JPL | 1418 | 2018-2107 | 101 | 2.2e-05 | -2.16 | -2.47 | 0 | JPL: "Analysis based on 21 observations spanning .79374 days (2007-Aug-14.56587 to 2007-Aug-15.35961)." Diameter approximately 0.260 km. from mean, weighted H=20.5. |
| 2007 PR25 | JPL | 1418 | 2094 | 1 | 1.8e-08 | -5.91 | -5.91 | 0 | JPL #2 for the day: "Analysis based on 26 observations spanning 1.6639 days (2007-Aug-13.22063 to 2007-Aug-14.88457)." Diameter approximately 0.160 km. from mean, weighted H=21.6. |
| NEODyS | 1418 | 2061 | 1 | 4.32e-09 | -6.23 | -6.23 | 0 | NEODyS: "Based on 26 optical observations (of which 0 are rejected as outliers) from 2007/08/13.221 to 2007/08/14.885." | |
| 2007 PA8 | JPL | 1418 | 2033-2104 | 51 | 1.6e-07 | -2.25 | -2.81 | 0 | JPL: "Analysis based on 49 observations spanning 5.7317 days (2007-Aug-09.21035 to 2007-Aug-14.94203)." Diameter approximately 2.460 km. from mean, weighted H=15.7. |
| NEODyS | 1418 | 2018-2082 | 20 | 7.76e-08 | -2.38 | -2.85 | 0 | NEODyS: "Based on 49 optical observations (of which 0 are rejected as outliers) from 2007/08/09.211 to 2007/08/14.943." | |
Legend: VI# = VI count, Prob Cum = cumulative probability, PS Cum/Max = cumulative/maximum Palermo Scale, TS = Torino Scale
An impact solution, also known as a "virtual impactor" (VI), is not a prediction but rather a possibility derived from an orbit calculation that cannot be eliminated yet based on the existing data. Elimination can come quickly with just a little further observation or may take weeks or months, sometimes years. Once superceded or eliminated, a former impact solution has zero relevance to an object's risk. See Jon Giorgini's "Understanding Risk Pages" for more about this.
Chronology on 15 August '07
Times are UTC for when the items were noted or added by Major News.
| 2159 | Grabbed MPEC 2007-P57 - 2007 PF28 - see above |
| 2112 | Added link to news story, "Comet May Have Exploded Over North America 13,000 Years Ago" |
| 1538 | Added MOS paper, "A discontinuity in the low-mass initial mass function" - see above Added MOS paper, "Specific Angular Momentum of Extrasolar Planetary Systems" - see above Added link to news story, "Meteors Past and Future" Added link to news story, "Prairie Meteorite Search comes to Melfort" |
| 1418 | Noted that JPL has updated its 2007 PA8 risk assessment - see above Noted that NEODyS has updated its 2007 PA8 risk assessment - see above Noted that JPL has updated its 2007 PR25 risk assessment - see above Noted that JPL has posted 2007 PV27 as an impact risk - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-P55 - Daily Orbit Update - see above |
| 1417 | Noted that NEODyS has posted 2007 PR25 as an impact risk - see above Grabbed MPEC 2007-P56 - 2007 PV27 - see above |
| 0134 | Noted that JPL has posted 2007 PR25 as an impact risk - see above |
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