Minor Planet/Asteroid 2 Pallas sighting

[rwilkey]

Hi all, my wife and I caught 2 Pallas this morning just below Arcturus at 5am, we are so excited to have seen it as this is our first asteroid sighting.  We first cottoned onto it through Ian Morison's The Night Sky (Jodrell Bank) when it was reported that it could be seen on the evening of the 10th April, but it was too murky and light-polluted for us so we checked it out the following morning and it had repositioned from E to W with the Earth's rotation.  Here is Ian Morrison's great monthly guide (scroll down for report on Pallas): http://www.jb.man.ac.uk/astronomy/nightsky/

The following picture illustrates exactly how it looked, except that it appeared brighter:

Did anyone else spot it?

[rwilkey]

I have just checked Stellarium, it will be above Arcturus tonight and just to the right about 40º in the east, if you have clear skies, if not try the morning in the west when it will be below Arcturus again and about 45º to the right (reversed if you are using a refractor!).

[cloudsweeper]

Nice going Robin!  It's always good to bag an asteroid.  I have spotted Ceres and Vesta through chancing on them being suitably placed on Stellarium.  With Pallas and Hygiea, they make the "top four" for size.  (Ceres, the largest, and actually a dwarf planet, would just about cover the British Isles.)

Doug.

[rwilkey]

Hi Doug, I would love to see the other asteroids you mention, just not got round to it before, I am now hooked!

[John]

Well done and a very interesting post Robin

I've not really tried much for asteroids so it is interesting to get some ideas of new challenges like this.

 

[alan potts]

Very well done Robin, looks like a big snowball in the picture, nothing but rain, rain and more rain here.

Alan

[Mark at Beaufort]

Great post Robin. I have often thought about tracking down the main Asteriods but never got round to it. 

I think you have encouraged me to go for the main ones.

[Paul M]

Nice report.

I'll have a look tonight if it remains clear.

I tried spotting one of the others earlier in the year. Can't remember which one but it was below the Hyades in Taurus. It was mag 9 point something in less than perfect conditions and I had only my faithful old 9 X 50's to hand = no chance!

Massive failure on the asteroid but time wandering round Taurus with the bins is never wasted

[Alan White]

Nice report Robin

I too share your and your wife’s enthusiasm as I observed it on Wednesday evening with fellow Castle Point Astronomy Club CPAC members on our observing evening. I was observing alongside Ed NGC1502 on here.

It too was my first Asteroid and I was thoroughly taken with the whole thing.

It was my 10” Dobsonian post vent addition and star test too, so doubly pleasing.

Who would have thought it eh, observing an Asteroid with my own scope, super stuff.

 

[rwilkey]

41 minutes ago, Alan White said:

It was my 10” Dobsonian

Hi Alan, great that you have seen a first time asteroid like us, we were viewing with my wife's 90mm refractor, apparently it is also a binocular object according to Ian Morison, well, it's bright enough as you would have found!

[Eastman]

Great catch there Robin.

[Mark at Beaufort]

@rwilkey- Robin thanks for starting this thread. As I previously stated I have never looked for minor planet/asteriods. Last night I checked out the position of Pallas and noted it was nicely situated between stars 6 and 1 in Bootes. Star 6 has a nice double star nearby and 1 is also a double star.

Initially I used my Apollo 15x70 binos and was able to have stars  6 and 1 in the same FOV. Pallas is close to a triangle of stars so easy to identify. I then used my Heritage 130P starting with an ES68 24mm EP and then the TeleVue 8-24mm zoom. 

Hopefully, will watch it move over the next few nights.

[Ignoro]

On 11/04/2019 at 11:56, rwilkey said:

The following picture illustrates exactly how it looked, except that it appeared brighter:

Did anyone else spot it?

I've never seen one, you really can see it big like this with 90mm refractor? Or I'm missing something... 

[rwilkey]

2 minutes ago, Ignoro said:

I've never seen one, you really can see it big like this with 90mm refractor? Or I'm missing something... 

Hi Ignoro, no, not that big, like the naked eye planets, it is about the size of a pea.  However, I did see light shadows on it like those in the picture, which is why I posted it.  It is well worth a look as it's still slightly above Arcturus in the evening and slightly below in the morning.  Hope this helps.

[Ignoro]

1 hour ago, rwilkey said:

Hi Ignoro, no, not that big, like the naked eye planets, it is about the size of a pea.  However, I did see light shadows on it like those in the picture, which is why I posted it.  It is well worth a look as it's still slightly above Arcturus in the evening and slightly below in the morning.  Hope this helps.

size of a pea is huge  thanks I'll have a look. It's bright I suppose I can spot it from town?