They look like big chunks in this scanning electron microscope view of a "spatula" used to remove particles from the first of Hayabusa's two sample return compartments. Most are less than ten microns in diameter, but the excitement from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency is that about 1,500 of them consist of olivine and other minerals expected to come from an asteroid such as 25143 Itokawa rather than from other places on the spacecraft's long journey (Japan and Australia). Sky & Telescope has a report. Image ©copyright JAXA.
Contents on 17 November '10
- IAU Minor Planet Center
- NEOCP Activity -- one listing: 1 updated
- New MPECs -- three MPECs
- Observers -- fourteen observers
- Impact Risk Monitoring -- four objects
- Chronology
Resources:
- Consolidated Risk Tables - the CRT page
Of 369 risk-listed objects, 54 have had news in the last 30 days. Updated at 1615 UTC on 17 Nov. - Earth's Busy Neighborhood Traffic Report
Twelve objects are known to be within ten LD of Earth today. Updated at 1828 UTC on 17 Nov. - 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.
NEOCP Activity on 17 November '10
The MPC's NEO Confirmation Page has 1 listing: 1 updated
When last checked at 2359 UTC today, the Minor Planet Center's Near Earth Object discovery Confirmation Page (NEOCP) had one updated listing. This was a "one nighter." So far The Tracking News has counted a total of seven listings on the NEOCP at some point today.
To learn how observers use the NEOCP, see the Practical guide on how to observe NEOCP object at Suno Observatory by Birtwhistle et al.
New MPECs on 17 November '10
Minor Planet Electronic Circulars
As of last check at 2359 UTC, there have been three MPECs posted today from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
- MPEC 2010-W06 time-stamped "02:33 UT" - 2010 WC - see below
- MPEC 2010-W07 time-stamped "07:12 UT" - Daily Orbit Update - see below
- MPEC 2010-W08 time-stamped "23:44 UT" - 2010 VU198
MPEC 2010-W08 - "23:44 UT" - 2010 VU198
- K10VJ8U 2010 VU198 (H=18.4 ~708m) from the Mt. Lemmon Survey (MLS) (Nov. 15.49-52p8 at V=20.7-22.2 & 16.45-47p4 at V=20.4-21.1), Astronomical Research Obs. Westfield (Nov. 17.43-46p3), and the Spacewatch 1.8m telescope (Nov. 17.52-53p3)
<< DOU on 17 Nov. '10 >> MPEC 2010-W07 - "07:12 UT" - Daily Orbit Update
- Observations of risk-listed objects
- K10VD9Z 2010 VZ139 (small asteroid, arc=1 day, H=23.1 ~81m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.05-06p6)
- K10V98Q 2010 VQ98 (small asteroid, arc=6 days, H=28.1 ~8m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.27-28p3)
- K10U51E 2010 UE51 (small asteroid, arc=18 days, H=28.3 ~7m) from LINEAR (Nov. 16.37-41p4)
- Observations of recently (no longer) risk-listed objects
- K10VD9F 2010 VF139 (small asteroid, arc=3 days, H=23.8 ~59m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.37-38p3)
- K10V76A 2010 VA76 (small asteroid, arc=8 days, H=24.0 ~54m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.42-45p3 at V=22.3)
- K10V72B 2010 VB72 (arc=7 days, H=20.7 ~245m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 15.30-31p3)
- K10V21Q 2010 VQ21 (small asteroid, arc=9 days, H=22.3 ~117m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 15.01-03p3)
- K10V01E 2010 VE1 (arc=14 days, H=20.0 ~339m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.26-27p3)
- K10U07A 2010 UA7 (small asteroid, arc=20 days, H=23.3 ~74m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 17.19-20p3)
- K10U06X 2010 UX6 (small asteroid, arc=19 days, H=23.0 ~85m) from North Obs. (Nov. 15.02-03p3)
- K10TE9U 2010 TU149 (q=0.379 AU, Q=4.027 AU, arc=19 days, H=20.7 ~245m) from Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) (Oct. 10.45-48p3)
- K10T55P 2010 TP55 (arc=37 days, H=20.5 ~269m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 17.16-17p3)
- Observations of small asteroids (H>22.0)
- K10W00A 2010 WA (arc=1 day, H=30.0 ~3m) from Great Shefford Obs. (Nov. 16.97-00p7)
- K10VE0A 2010 VA140 (arc=1 day, H=25.9 ~22m) from MLS (Nov. 16.25-27p4 & 16.33p4)
- K10VD9N 2010 VN139 (arc=2 days, H=24.4 ~45m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.08-09p5)
- K10VD9K 2010 VK139 (arc=1 day, H=23.6 ~65m) from North Obs. (Nov. 15.86-87p6), Great Shefford Obs. (Nov. 15.90-91p3 & 15.96p3), and Tzec Maun Obs. Mayhill (Nov. 16.30p7 & 16.40-41p6)
- K10VD9E 2010 VE139 (arc=3 days, H=22.2 ~123m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.10-12p3)
- K10V98V 2010 VV98 (arc=6 days, H=24.5 ~43m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.22-23p3)
- K10V98N 2010 VN98 (arc=8 days, H=22.1 ~129m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.18-19p5)
- K10V65M 2010 VM65 (arc=7 days, H=23.6 ~65m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 15.13-15p4)
- K10V40C 2010 VC40 (arc=9 days, H=24.1 ~51m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.34p3 at V=21.7-22.1)
- K10V01D 2010 VD1 (arc=14 days, H=22.1 ~129m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.35-36p3)
- K10V00J 2010 VJ (arc=15 days, H=22.5 ~107m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.29p2)
- K10U08D 2010 UD8 (arc=16 days, H=24.6 ~41m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.30-31p3)
- K08E00L 2008 EL (arc=2 opp, H=22.2 ~123m) from the Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) (Nov. 16.18-20p4)
- K05J05R 2005 JR5 (arc=2 opp, H=22.1 ~129m) from MLS (Nov. 16.25-26p4)
- Observations of other objects
- K10VJ0Y 2010 VY190 (arc=1 day, H=18.8 ~589m) from LINEAR (Nov. 15.28-32p4 & 16.28-34p5), ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.12-13p4), and Tzec Maun Obs. Mayhill (Nov. 16.42-46p7)
- K10V65N 2010 VN65 (arc=37 days, H=19.9 ~355m) from LINEAR (Nov. 16.35-40p5)
- K10V01F 2010 VF1 (arc=14 days, H=20.5 ~269m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 16.20-21p3)
- K10U07X 2010 UX7 (arc=17 days, H=21.1 ~204m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.35-36p4)
- K10U07S 2010 US7 (i=55.2°, arc=16 days, H=18.9 ~562m) from ESA Optical Ground Station (ESA OGS) (Nov. 14.23-24p3)
- K10T54J 2010 TJ54 (arc=2 opp, H=19.8 ~371m) from CSS (Nov. 16.31-33p4)
- K10T47C 2010 TC47 (arc=40 days, H=20.4 ~282m) from CSS (Nov. 16.12-13p4)
- K10S41C 2010 SC41 (arc=60 days, H=19.9 ~355m) from CSS (Nov. 16.14-16p4)
- K10S13D 2010 SD13 (Q=4.300 AU, arc=49 days, H=18.8 ~589m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 15.03-05p4)
- K10O00C 2010 OC (Q=4.705 AU, arc=120 days, H=19.1 ~513m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.39-41p4)
- K10O00A 2010 OA (arc=122 days, H=20.4 ~282m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.42-44p4)
- K10L86F 2010 LF86 (arc=158 days, H=17.1 ~1.29 km) from LINEAR (Nov. 16.16-21p4) and Atlante Obs. (Nov. 16.80-82p3)
- K10J35A 2010 JA35 (arc=193 days, H=20.6 ~257m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 17.18-19p3)
- K10G65J 2010 GJ65 (arc=185 days, H=21.2 ~195m) from PS1 (Oct. 10.42-45p3)
- K10B02L 2010 BL2 (i=60.1°, arc=2 opp, H=16.4 ~1.78 km) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.42-44p2 at V=22.2)
- K07VD8C 2007 VC138 (arc=2 opp, H=19.4 ~446m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 15.08-10p5) and Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. (Nov. 15.48-50p6)
- K07T71D 2007 TD71 (i=49.8°, arc=2 opp, H=18.4 ~708m) from CSS (Nov. 16.14-16p4)
- K06K86V 2006 KV86 (i=37.1°, arc=3 opp, H=18.8 ~589m) from Spacewatch 1.8m (Nov. 17.10-11p3 at V=22.0-22.5)
- K02V68E 2002 VE68 (arc=3 opp, H=20.5 ~269m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 15.10-12p5)
- K02U03R 2002 UR3 (i=48.6°, q=0.285 AU, arc=6 opp, H=16.4 ~1.78 km) from CSS (Nov. 16.20-22p4)
- K01V02B 2001 VB2 (arc=4 opp, H=18.8 ~589m) from ARO Westfield (Nov. 15.06-07p3)
- F4300 154300 2002 UO from CSS (Nov. 16.24-26p3)
- D6849 136849 1998 CS1 from MLS (Nov. 16.51-52p4)
- A0926 100926 1998 MQ from CSS (Nov. 16.37-39p4)
- 25916 25916 2001 CP44 from CSS (Nov. 16.20-22p3)
- 07839 7839 1994 ND from La Sagra Obs. (Nov. 16.09-12p3)
MPEC 2010-W06 - "02:33 UT" - 2010 WC
- K10W00C 2010 WC (small asteroid, Earth MOID=1.4 LD, H=25.3 ~29m) from CSS (Nov. 16.28-34p8 & 16.40p4), ARO Westfield (Nov. 16.32-33p4), and Sabino Canyon Obs. (Nov. 16.34p3) This object will be coming within ten lunar distances (LD) of Earth, reaching 8.1 LD on 20 Nov.
Observers on 17 November '10
Fourteen observers appear in today's MPECs.
| Code | Observer / observatory |
|---|---|
| H21 | Astronomical Research Obs. Westfield in Illinois, 20 in MPECs 2010-W06, 2010-W07 & 2010-W08 -- 2010 WC, 2010 VZ139, 2010 VY190, 2010 VV98, 2010 VU198, 2010 VQ98, 2010 VQ21, 2010 VN98, 2010 VN139, 2010 VM65, 2010 VE139, 2010 VB72, 2010 UX7, 2010 SD13, 2010 OC, 2010 OA, 2010 BL2, 2007 VC138, 2002 VE68, 2001 VB2 |
| J51 | Atlante Obs. in the Canary Islands, 1 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2010 LF86 |
| 703 | Catalina Sky Survey (CSS) in Arizona, 10 in MPECs 2010-W06 & 2010-W07 -- 2010 WC, 2010 TJ54, 2010 TC47, 2010 SC41, 2008 EL, 2007 TD71, 2002 UR3, 25916, 154300, 100926 |
| J04 | ESA Optical Ground Station in the Canary Islands, 1 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2010 US7 |
| J95 | Great Shefford Obs. in England, 2 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2010 WA, 2010 VK139 |
| 379 | Hamamatsu-Yuto Obs. in Japan, 1 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2007 VC138 |
| 704 | LINEAR in New Mexico, 4 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2010 VY190, 2010 VN65, 2010 UE51, 2010 LF86 |
| J75 | La Sagra Obs. in Spain, 1 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 7839 |
| G96 | Mt. Lemmon Survey (MLS) in Arizona, 4 in MPECs 2010-W07 & 2010-W08 -- 2010 VU198, 2010 VA140, 2005 JR5, 136849 |
| J69 | North Obs. in England, 2 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2010 VK139, 2010 UX6 |
| F51 | Pan-STARRS 1 (PS1) in Hawaii, 2 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2010 TU149, 2010 GJ65 |
| 854 | Sabino Canyon Obs. in Arizona, 1 in MPEC 2010-W06 -- 2010 WC |
| 291 | Spacewatch 1.8m telescope in Arizona, 13 in MPECs 2010-W07 & 2010-W08 -- 2010 VU198, 2010 VJ, 2010 VF139, 2010 VF1, 2010 VE1, 2010 VD1, 2010 VC40, 2010 VA76, 2010 UD8, 2010 UA7, 2010 TP55, 2010 JA35, 2006 KV86 |
| H10 | Tzec Maun Obs. Mayhill in New Mexico, 2 in MPEC 2010-W07 -- 2010 VY190, 2010 VK139 |
| For a list of all participating observatories that have Web addresses, see A/CC's Observatory Links page. | |
Impact Risk Monitoring on 17 November '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 VW194 | NEODyS | 1612 | 2047-2089 | 23 | 2.23e-05 | -5.47 | -6.01 | 0 | NEODyS: "Based on 9 optical observations (of which 0 are rejected as outliers) from 2010-11-15.343 to 2010-11-16.393." |
| 2010 VZ139 | NEODyS | 1612 | R E M O V E D | - | |||||
| 2010 VQ98 | JPL Sentry | 1612 | 2109 | 1 | 4.1e-06 | -7.43 | -7.43 | 0 | JPL: "Analysis based on 25 observations spanning 5.8457 days (2010-Nov-10.43786 to 2010-Nov-16.28357)." Diameter approximately 0.008 km. from mean, weighted H=28.1. |
| NEODyS | 1612 | R E M O V E D | - | ||||||
| 2010 UE51 | JPL Sentry | 1612 | 2077-2078 | 2 | 7.3e-05 | -6.10 | -6.37 | 0 | JPL: "Analysis based on 147 observations spanning 18.153 days (2010-Oct-29.25716 to 2010-Nov-16.41032)." Diameter approximately 0.007 km. from mean, weighted H=28.3. |
| NEODyS | 1612 | 2074-2074 | 1 | 1.3e-06 | -7.84 | -7.84 | 0 | NEODyS: "Based on 149 optical observations (of which 2 are rejected as outliers) from 2010-10-29.258 to 2010-11-16.411." | |
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 17 November '10
Times are UTC for when items were noted or added by The Tracking News.
| 2359 | Grabbed MPEC 2010-W08 - 2010 VU198 - see above |
| 1612 | Noted that JPL Sentry has updated its 2010 UE51 risk assessment - see above Noted that NEODyS has updated its 2010 UE51 risk assessment - see above Noted that JPL Sentry has updated its 2010 VQ98 risk assessment - see above Noted that NEODyS has removed 2010 VQ98 as an impact risk - see above Noted that NEODyS has posted 2010 VW194 as an impact risk - see above Noted that NEODyS has removed 2010 VZ139 as an impact risk - see above Grabbed MPEC 2010-W07 - Daily Orbit Update - see above |
| 0245 | Grabbed MPEC 2010-W06 - 2010 WC - see above |
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