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Contents  on 25 August '07

• Minor-Object News -- four items
• Minor-Object Science -- none yet today
• IAU Minor Planet Center
  • NEOCP Activity -- five listings: 3 new, 2 updated
  • New MPECs -- two MPECs
  • Observers -- eighteen 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.

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Minor-Object News  on 25 August '07

• Bits & Pieces: Early today an update MPEC reported that David Tholen's team on Mauna Kea in Hawaii had recovered 2005 NZ6 (see below). This kilometer-size object has an orbit that gets closer to the Sun than Mercury and is calculated to come as close to Earth as 3.3 lunar distances. It was listed for a time in 2005 as an impact risk after discovery on July 3rd of that year by JPL's NEAT program with its Mt. Palomar telescope in southern California.
        If you immediately picked up the science paper we noted Wednesday proposing an "Icarus family" of near-Earth objects (and meteor shower), be advised that a revision was posted the next day.
        It was one year ago yesterday that the International Astronomical Union General Assembly in Prague passed Resolution 5A creating the definition of "dwarf planets," followed by Resolution 6A which specifically recognized Pluto as a special member of that new classification. Also in 5A was the creation of a name and definition for minor objects -- all objects orbiting the Sun that are not planets, dwarf planets, or satellites -- as "small Solar-System bodies."
        The approximately weekly "Planentary Exploration Newsletter" (PEN) has been launched at the Planetary Science Institute (PSI) with an editorial board promised to represent "professional societies, research organizations, and academic departments." There have been sixteen editions (see their archives) beginning May 24th. The latest, from August 21st, has this curious bit from Alan Stern at NASA's Science Mission Directorate (SMD): "I'll close this note by giving examples which are of particular relevance to planetary scientists of some accomplishments that we've already made [since April]. These are generally small advances, but I hope they signal positive change in SMD's direction. They include: ... Taking under study how JWST can observe moving targets." That's the James Webb Space Telescope, now under construction to succeed Hubble, which over the years has itself observed lots of moving targets -- planets and small Solar-System bodies. {permalink}
• "Spitzer Celebrates Fourth Anniversary with Celestial Fireworks," Spitzer Space Telescope 24 Aug. - Quote: "The minimum expected lifetime of Spitzer was only two-and-one-half years. Now, Spitzer's cryogen is expected to last much longer, giving the mission a lifetime of more than five-and-one-half years." {permalink}
  • "Cornell researchers mark Spitzer telescope's 4th year," Ithaca Journal 25 Aug. - Note: After various delays, the Spitzer Space Telescope (SST), then known as the Space Infrared Telescope Facility (SIRTF), was launched by NASA on this day, August 25th, in 2003. {permalink}
• "Will Pluto prevail?" Cosmic Log at MSNBC 24 Aug. - Quote: "If Alan Stern has his way, the makers of toy planets shouldn't be too quick to toss out their Pluto mold. Stern, one of the underdog planet's biggest proponents, is the principal investigator for NASA's Pluto-bound New Horizons probe as well as NASA's associate administrator for space science." {permalink}

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Minor-Object Science  on 25 August '07

No science papers are known or prepared yet today.

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NEOCP Activity  on 25 August '07

The MPC's NEO Confirmation Page has 5 listings: 3 new, 2 updated

When last checked at 2356 UTC today, the Minor Planet Center's NEO discovery Confirmation Page (NEOCP) had three new and two updated listings. Of these, four were "one nighters."

To learn how observers use the NEOCP, see the Practical guide on how to observe NEOCP object by Birtwhistle et al. at Suno Observatory.

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New MPECs  on 25 August '07

Minor Planet Electronic Circulars

As of last check at 2356 UTC, there have been two MPECs issued today from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

• MPEC 2007-Q21 time-stamped "04:03 UT" - 2005 NZ6 - see below
• MPEC 2007-Q22 time-stamped "06:07 UT" - Daily Orbit Update

<< DOU on 25 Aug. '07 >>  MPEC 2007-Q22 - "06:07 UT" - Daily Orbit Update

• Observations of small asteroids (H>22.0)
• K07K02D   2007 KD2 (Q=4.435 AU, arc=97 days, H=23.1 ~81m) from Astronomical Research Obs. (ARO) (Aug. 23.18-21p2 at V=22.7-8)
• K07J16G   2007 JG16 (arc=92 days, H=23.6 ~65m) from ARO (Aug. 24.21p1)
• Observations of other objects
• K07Q03E   2007 QE3 (arc=2 days, H=19.9 ~355m) from Mt. John Obs. (Aug. 24.64p4)
• K07Q02K   2007 QK2 (arc=3 days, H=20.5 ~269m) from Jim Young via Table Mtn. Obs. (Aug. 24.19-22p4), Petit Jean Mtn. South Obs. (PJMSO) (Aug. 24.26-28p8), and Mt. John Obs. (Aug. 24.36-38p4 & 24.47-48p3)
• K07Q02A   2007 QA2 (arc=7 days, H=20.8 ~234m) from Young/Table Mtn. (Aug. 24.23-24p4) and PJMSO (Aug. 24.28-29p7)
• K07P28F   2007 PF28 (arc=9 days, H=19.1 ~513m) from Stia Obs. (Aug. 23.78-79p5), Santa Mama Obs. (Aug. 23.83-85p8), Capannoli Obs. (Aug. 24.02p3), PJMSO (Aug. 24.24-25p10), and Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. (Aug. 24.57-59p6)
• K07P25H   2007 PH25 (i=53.2°, Q=4.603 AU, arc=12 days, H=16.5 ~1.70 km) from Shenton Park Obs. (Aug. 24.88-89p3)
• K07P11U   2007 PU11 (Q=4.384 AU, arc=3 opp, H=16.3 ~1.86 km) from Capannoli Obs. (Aug. 23.99p1), PJMSO (Aug. 24.39-40p6), Stia Obs. (Aug. 24.87-89p5), and Cormons Obs. (Aug. 24.92-93p3)
• K07P10R   2007 PR10 (q=0.132 AU, arc=12 days, H=20.7 ~245m) from Mt. John Obs. (Aug. 24.40-41p4)
• K07P09P   2007 PP9 (arc=14 days, H=21.3 ~186m) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.38-39p7) and Cormons Obs. (Aug. 24.94p3)
• K07P08E   2007 PE8 (arc=13 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from Stia Obs. (Aug. 23.88-89p4) and PJMSO (Aug. 24.30p7)
• K07P08B   2007 PB8 (arc=14 days, H=20.8 ~234m) from the Spacewatch 1.8m telescope (Aug. 24.22p3)
• K07P06P   2007 PP6 (q=0.361 AU, arc=15 days, H=17.2 ~1.23 km) from Shenton Park Obs. (Aug. 24.55-56p2)
• K07O00V   2007 OV (arc=39 days, H=19.1 ~513m) from the Siding Spring Survey (SSS) (Aug. 24.62-63p10)
• K07N05C   2007 NC5 (q=0.277 AU, Q=4.617 AU, arc=51 days, H=18.0 ~851m) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.33-34p6)
• K07N00Q   2007 NQ (arc=45 days, H=19.4 ~446m) from ARO (Aug. 24.11-12p4)
• K07M13M   2007 MM13 (i=38.2°, arc=61 days, H=17.7 ~977m) from ARO (Aug. 23.10-11p3)
• K07L32R   2007 LR32 (arc=91 days, H=17.2 ~1.23 km) from Santa Mama Obs. (Aug. 23.86-89p8), PJMSO (Aug. 24.30-32p6), and Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. (Aug. 24.64p3)
• K07L15A   2007 LA15 (arc=72 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.18p6)
• K07L00L   2007 LL (arc=77 days, H=20.4 ~282m) from ARO (Aug. 24.08-11p3)
• K07K04N   2007 KN4 (Q=5.445 AU, arc=94 days, H=17.0 ~1.35 km) from ARO (Aug. 22.24-25p2)
• K07J40E   2007 JE40 (arc=101 days, H=20.0 ~339m) from ARO (Aug. 24.13-17p5)
• K07H82X   2007 HX82 (Q=4.096 AU, arc=120 days, H=20.4 ~282m) from ARO (Aug. 24.09-10p3)
• K07H70D   2007 HD70 (arc=120 days, H=21.0 ~214m) from ARO (Aug. 23.14-15p3)
• K07G05Z   2007 GZ5 (arc=130 days, H=21.1 ~204m) from ARO (Aug. 23.11-12p3)
• K07DA3T   2007 DT103 (arc=179 days, H=19.2 ~490m) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.36-37p5)
• K07D08K   2007 DK8 (arc=188 days, H=19.0 ~537m) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.37-38p5)
• K07C26K   2007 CK26 (arc=2 opp, H=19.0 ~537m) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.23-24p6)
• K03SM2W   2003 SW222 (arc=3 opp, H=17.2 ~1.23 km) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.35-36p5)
• K03O14R   2003 OR14 (arc=4 opp, H=16.4 ~1.78 km) from Wildberg Obs. (Aug. 24.85-87p6)
• K02V69P   2002 VP69 (arc=4 opp, H=18.0 ~851m) from ARO (Aug. 24.16-17p2 at V=22.4-5)
• K02N04N   2002 NN4 (arc=4 opp, H=20.0 ~339m) from PJMSO (Aug. 24.32p6) and Wildberg Obs. (Aug. 24.81-82p5)
• K01R17T   2001 RT17 (q=0.264 AU, arc=4 opp, H=18.0 ~851m) from ARO (Aug. 23.33-36p3)
• K01R12A   2001 RA12 (arc=4 opp, H=18.0 ~851m) from ARO (Aug. 23.37-38p3)
• J99V11M   1999 VM11 (arc=3 opp, H=20.8 ~234m) from ARO (Aug. 24.12-13p2 at V=22.1)
• J99D07B   1999 DB7 (arc=3 opp, H=19.9 ~355m) from LONEOS (Aug. 21.29-35p4)
• J98S36H   1998 SH36 (arc=4 opp, H=20.5 ~269m) from the Spacewatch 0.9m telescope (Aug. 24.32-35p3)
• J98S04V   1998 SV4 (i=53.3°, q=0.292 AU, arc=5 opp, H=18.1 ~812m) from ARO (Aug. 23.39-40p3)
• E5656   145656 4788 P-L from Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. (Aug. 24.51p3) and Montana Blanca Obs. (Aug. 25.01p1)
• 87309   87309 2000 QP from PJMSO (Aug. 24.20p5)
• 86324   86324 1999 WA2 from PJMSO (Aug. 24.19-20p5)
• 26663   26663 2000 XK47 from ARO (Aug. 24.22p2)
• 16636   16636 1993 QP from PJMSO (Aug. 24.34-35p5)
• 08034   8034 Akka (1992 LR) from Spacewatch 0.9m (Aug. 24.44-46p3)
• 05143   5143 Heracles (1991 VL) from Moriyama Obs. (Aug. 15.66p1)

MPEC 2007-Q21 - "04:03 UT" - 2005 NZ6

• K05N06Z   2005 NZ6 (q=0.248 AU, Earth MOID=3.3 LD, H=17.4 ~1.12 km) from David Tholen's team on Mauna Kea (June 20.42-43p2 & 21.49-50p2)

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Observers  on 25 August '07

Eighteen observing facilities appear in today's MPECs.

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Impact Risk Monitoring  on 25 August '07

At last check (NEODyS and JPL at 2356 UTC) there was no risk monitoring news to report yet today. See the CRT for activity in the last month.

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Chronology  on 25 August '07

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