Big asteroid close approach!

[lukebl]

Here's my animation of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (162082) 1998 HL1, which is due for a close flyby on 25th October.

Last night it was in Cassiopiea at around 15th magnitude. At closest approach it'll whizz through Airies at around mag 12.4 and passing at a safe 6.2 million kilometres. It's big, though, at least 500 metres across, and having an earth-crossing orbit is potentally dangerous one day. The animation shows 25 minutes of motion during which time it travelled about 5 arc-minutes.

I wondered why the brightish star to lower right looked a bit 'blobby', till I found out that it's a double star with components of 11th and 12th magnitude, separated by 3.5".

[JamesF]

Nice capture

James

[Davey-T]

Well done Luke, I hung around hoping for a shot at it but clouds never cleared here.

Dave

[bob-c]

That's great, well done..

Bob.