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February passing asteroid


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We've updated SkySafari Plus and Pro to predict the motion of asteroids and comets using the same highly-acurate solar system physics as NASA and JPL. As a result, unlike any other virtual planetarium program, SkySafari Plus and Pro can pinpoint 2012 DA14 accurately in the sky. As far as we know, ours are the only mobile apps - and maybe the only desktop apps - that can do this.

I got the update notification automatically on my phone this morning. For anyone who doesn't already have the app, the plus and pro versions on offer with a 25% discount until the 17th to promote this event. Regardless of the asteroid, it's a really good app anyway, would thoroughly recommend.

Fingers crossed for clear skies - my dad is going to get an unexpected visitor (me!) this evening as his garden will have a perfect view, he is a very lucky parent ;):grin:

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I think I'm going to set my 4" refractor up with the 31mm Nagler for this one and catch it as it goes through Ursa Major. That setup gives a view nearly 4 degrees across :smiley:

Fingers crossed for clear skies - it's looking nice here at the moment.

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If clear I will be using a mounted German WW2 10x80 binocular with angled eyepieces and a 50mm FL camera lens fitted with a Watec 120n in the hope of being able to record something. The challenge is to let the maximum number of viewers see it at the same time.

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typically the asteroid coincided with a dinner with my future in-laws and possibly good weather lol

I'll just drop a 7D camera and 24mm lens in the garden and shoot continuously while we're eating. Probably iso1600 f2.8 and 10-20 second exposures because at best the asteroid is around mag 7-8 and getting darker as it climbs through the night. It will be a good test of my new Hutech EOS IDAS LP filter if nothing else.

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I have to say that for once the clouds were kind. it was pretty much where the maps showed it to be and moving surprisingly rapidly across the eyepiece (71x 1.3 degree field). it was not apparent at all in the 9x50 finder. I'd be very impressed if anyone saw it in bins.

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Apologies for the double post cut and pasted from the S Wales group but just so happy with tonight - Panstarrs next up.

BAGGED IT - So pleased I didn't give in tonight.

Got the scope out at just after 8 with the Plough right in front of me- beautiful clear night with front row seats. Then a worrying bank of clouds to the East but surely it was too slow moving to interfere - nope by 21.05 wall to wall cloud but there were breaks in it. 50/50 at this point on whether to pack in or not but thought as I'd set up and already been out an hour or more I'd persevere. 21.30 still wall to wall cloud with small breaks here and there - out of no where a meteor streaked across the sky heading East - two now in the past month I've seen. Got the Telrad trained on where I thought it would be and then a reasonable break in the clouds just where I wanted it to be - 21.37 somethings moving and there it was tiny but at 21.37 moving right across the path of the plough handle just where predicted- I was over the moon. Then a fatal mistake- ran to the patio window knocked for the wife to come see - out she comes so I got the 31mm lens centered for where to see it - and after 5 seconds she still couldn't see it and when I returned neither could I - clouds closed in again and that was that but =- I can now tick off my first ever near earth asteroid.

I can't believe anyone could have seen that with bins though unless they were on a tripod with really good lens diameters

and finally completely cruelly as I've packed everything away with fingers crossed for tomorrow night the skies have cleared again - what a cruel hobby this can be

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Almost total cloud cover in my spot in Hertfordshire. It was beautiful and clear when I left work in Westminster :( I put the scope out focussed it on Jupiter during a fleeting gap then waited for anything anywhere near the track the asteroid was going to follow but nothing came my way. Hey-ho, as someone else said at least I tried :)

I am working on the logic that the DA14 rock was only discovered last year so there will be more passing by before I hang up my scope :D

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