This Hubble Space Telescope image of 4 Vesta is from May three years ago. In May of next year the ion-propelled Dawn spacecraft will begin maneuvering to be captured into orbit around Vesta, bringing the second largest Main Belt object into sharp view by July. See Science@NASA's preview report from yesterday. Image credit: NASA, ESA, L. McFadden, and G. Bacon.
Contents on 20 August '10
- Radar Astrometry -- one object
- IAU Minor Planet Center
- NEOCP Activity -- none
- New MPECs -- four MPECs
- Observers -- eleven observing facilities
- Impact Risk Monitoring -- one object
- Chronology
Resources:
- Consolidated Risk Tables - the CRT page
Of 323 risk-listed objects, 12 have had news in the last month. Updated at 1411 UTC. - Earth's Busy Neighborhood Traffic Report
No objects are known to be within ten LD of Earth today. Updated at 1856 UTC. - Ephemerides for risk-rated and nearby objects
- News image catalog
- Old & new CRT Archive
- Old News Archive & Small Objects Archive
The latest A/CC news is available via framed access, 
RSS news feed, or redirection. - Note: A/CC has a main Web site and also a backup site with its own duplicate RSS news feed.
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 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.
Radar Astrometry on 20 August '10
Radar observation of one object
The JPL Solar System Dynamics Group Radar Astrometry database has added or updated the following small-body radar observing work:
Data update noted at 2115 UTC when the database was dated 20 Aug.
NEOCP Activity on 20 August '10
The MPC's NEO Confirmation Page is currently empty
The NEOCP is currently empty and hasn't been noted by The Tracking News as being active yet today (checked at 2358 UTC). It was last noted active yesterday.
New MPECs on 20 August '10
Minor Planet Electronic Circulars
As of last check at 2358 UTC, there have been four MPECs posted today from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- MPEC 2010-Q14 time-stamped "06:12 UT" - Daily Orbit Update - see below
- MPEC 2010-Q15 time-stamped "15:39 UT" - 2007 RU12 - see below
- MPEC 2010-Q16 time-stamped "20:03 UT" - Comet C/2010 L3 (Catalina) - see below
- MPEC 2010-Q17 time-stamped "20:39 UT" - Comet C/2010 L4 (WISE)
MPEC 2010-Q17 - "20:39 UT" - Comet C/2010 L4 (WISE)
- CK10L040 C/2010 L4 (WISE) (i=102.8°, q=2.825 AU, Q=155.938 AU, TP=2010 Feb. 23.59652 TT) from Castelmartini Obs. (Aug. 8.86-87p3) and Schiaparelli Obs. (Aug. 8.96p1 & 9.07p1)
MPEC 2010-Q16 - "20:03 UT" - Comet C/2010 L3 (Catalina)
- CK10L030 C/2010 L3 (Catalina) (i=102.6°, q=9.883 AU, Q=47885.010 AU, TP=2010 Nov. 10.48421 TT) from Buchloe Obs. (Aug. 7.86p3), Schiaparelli Obs. (Aug. 7.96-97p2), Modra Obs. (Aug. 11.83-85p3), and the Spacewatch 0.9m telescope (Aug. 19.23-25p3)
MPEC 2010-Q15 - "15:39 UT" - 2007 RU12
- K07R12U 2007 RU12 (H=20.0 ~339m) from David Tholen's team on Mauna Kea (July 14.42-43p2 at R=23.9-24.1 & 15.42-43p2 at R=23.8-9)
<< DOU on 20 Aug. '10 >> MPEC 2010-Q14 - "06:12 UT" - Daily Orbit Update
- Observations of risk-listed objects
- K10P66R 2010 PR66 (Q=4.832 AU, arc=4 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from Astronomical Research Obs. Westfield (Aug. 19.16-18p5)
- Observations of small asteroids (H>22.0)
- K10P66S 2010 PS66 (arc=4 days, H=25.1 ~32m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.21-24p5)
- Observations of other objects
- K10P22Y 2010 PY22 (arc=12 days, H=19.2 ~490m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.18-19p3) and Wishing Star Obs. (Aug. 20.12-13p3)
- K10P09L 2010 PL9 (arc=14 days, H=20.0 ~339m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.20-21p3)
- K10P02P 2010 PP2 (arc=16 days, H=21.2 ~195m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.23-26p5)
- K10OC6K 2010 OK126 (i=52.5°, arc=20 days, H=20.6 ~257m) from Spacewatch 0.9m (Aug. 19.37p3)
- K10OA1F 2010 OF101 (arc=27 days, H=19.5 ~426m) from Spacewatch 0.9m (Aug. 19.21-23p3)
- K10OA1D 2010 OD101 (arc=27 days, H=20.9 ~224m) from Spacewatch 0.9m (Aug. 19.43-44p3)
- K10OA0L 2010 OL100 (arc=22 days, H=19.7 ~389m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.09-12p4) and Spacewatch 0.9m (Aug. 19.19-20p3)
- K10N03G 2010 NG3 (Q=4.081 AU, arc=42 days, H=17.1 ~1.29 km) from Kevin Hills via RAS Obs. Moorook (Aug. 19.69-71p2)
- K10M01F 2010 MF1 (arc=62 days, H=19.6 ~407m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.08p4), Castelmartini Obs. (Aug. 19.86p3), and Wishing Star Obs. (Aug. 20.03p3)
- K10G21U 2010 GU21 (arc=136 days, H=21.1 ~204m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.30-33p4)
- K10F92O 2010 FO92 (arc=153 days, H=20.0 ~339m) from Castelmartini Obs. (Aug. 19.87p3)
- K07VI9G 2007 VG189 (arc=2 opp, H=19.2 ~490m) from Castelmartini Obs. (Aug. 19.85p3) and Wishing Star Obs. (Aug. 20.05-06p3)
- J99T05B 1999 TB5 (arc=4 opp, H=19.0 ~537m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.26-29p3)
- J98W02C 1998 WC2 (arc=4 opp, H=18.4 ~708m) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 16.29p1 at V=22.8, 16.34-36p2 at V=22.7-9 & 19.32-39p3 at V=22.7-23.0)
- G1998 161998 1988 PA from Wishing Star Obs. (Aug. 20.09-10p3)
- E3381 143381 2003 BC21 from Purple Mtn. Obs. Xuyi Station (Aug. 19.64-68p4)
- D8155 138155 2000 ES70 from Spacewatch 0.9m (Aug. 12.18-21p2)
- 24443 24443 2000 OG from Spacewatch 0.9m (Aug. 14.18-23p3)
- 02608 2608 Seneca (1978 DA) from ARO Westfield (Aug. 19.26-30p3 at V=22.1-4)
Observers on 20 August '10
Eleven observing facilities appear in today's MPECs.
| Code | Observer / observatory |
|---|---|
| 251 | Arecibo in Puerto Rico, 1 in radar -- 2008 EV5 |
| H21 | Astronomical Research Obs. Westfield in Illinois, 11 in MPEC 2010-Q14 -- 2010 PY22, 2010 PS66, 2010 PR66, 2010 PP2, 2010 PL9, 2010 OL100, 2010 MF1, 2010 GU21, 1999 TB5, 1998 WC2, 2608 |
| 215 | Buchloe Obs. in Germany, 1 in MPEC 2010-Q16 -- C/2010 L3 |
| 160 | Castelmartini Obs. in Italy, 4 in MPECs 2010-Q14 & 2010-Q17 -- 2010 MF1, C/2010 L4, 2010 FO92, 2007 VG189 |
| 5682 | David Tholen's team on Mauna Kea in Hawaii, 1 in MPEC 2010-Q15 -- 2007 RU12 |
| 118 | Modra Obs. in Slovakia, 1 in MPEC 2010-Q16 -- C/2010 L3 |
| D29 | Purple Mtn. Obs. Xuyi Station in China, 1 in MPEC 2010-Q14 -- 143381 |
| D90` | Kevin Hills in England via RAS Obs. Moorook in South Australia, 1 in MPEC 2010-Q14 -- 2010 NG3 |
| 204 | Schiaparelli Obs. in Italy, 2 in MPECs 2010-Q16 & 2010-Q17 -- C/2010 L4, C/2010 L3 |
| 691 | Spacewatch 0.9m telescope in Arizona, 7 in MPECs 2010-Q14 & 2010-Q16 -- 2010 OL100, 2010 OK126, 2010 OF101, 2010 OD101, C/2010 L3, 24443, 138155 |
| I15 | Wishing Star Obs. in Rhode Island, 4 in MPEC 2010-Q14 -- 2010 PY22, 2010 MF1, 2007 VG189, 161998 |
| For a list of all participating observatories that have Web addresses, see A/CC's Observatory Links page. | |
Impact Risk Monitoring on 20 August '10
| 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 |
| 2010 PR66 | JPL Sentry | 1410 | 2078-2107 | 4 | 2.5e-07 | -4.09 | -4.28 | 0 | JPL: "Analysis based on 52 observations spanning 3.9164 days (2010-Aug-15.2648 to 2010-Aug-19.18118)." Diameter approximately 0.440 km. from mean, weighted H=19.4. |
| NEODyS | 1410 | 2078-2085 | 2 | 3.19e-09 | -5.81 | -5.81 | 0 | NEODyS: "Based on 52 optical observations (of which 0 are rejected as outliers) from 2010/08/15.266 to 2010/08/19.182." | |
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 a variant 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" to learn more.
Chronology on 20 August '10
Times are UTC for when items were noted or added by The Tracking News.
| 2115 | Grabbed MPEC 2010-Q16 - Comet C/2010 L3 (Catalina) - see above Grabbed MPEC 2010-Q17 - Comet C/2010 L4 (WISE) - see above Noted Radar Astrometry database update - see above |
| 1629 | Grabbed MPEC 2010-Q15 - 2007 RU12 - see above |
| 1411 | Grabbed MPEC 2010-Q14 - Daily Orbit Update - see above |
| 1410 | Noted that JPL Sentry has updated its 2010 PR66 risk assessment - see above Noted that NEODyS has updated its 2010 PR66 risk assessment - see above |
Publisher information, privacy statement, and disclaimer.
This page is © Copyright 2010 Columbine, Inc. - All Rights Reserved
Any mentioned trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
Various tabular formats and data used on this page are acknowledged as belonging to JPL, MPC, NEODyS, and/or others.
Do NOT copy, mirror, or embed this page, but you are welcome to link to it, and you may embed the RSS news feed. All information here is subject to very frequent change during the day of news compilation. Individuals may make copies for their own private, non-commercial use. Please report broken links or other problems with this page to <webmaster@hohmanntransfer.com> (HTML 4.01 validation).
Important news updates are flagged by A/CC's RSS news feed (link).