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Near Earth Object visible in small telescopes


Epick Crom

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Hi my fellow stargazers! Just a heads up, an asteroid named 7482 (1994PC1) will make a close approach to Earth which will be visible in small telescopes on  Tue January 17. It will be around 10th magnitude at this time. It's movement will be apparent in real time! Please check Sky and Telescope website for more details. Clear skies!

Joe

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55 minutes ago, Stu said:

Looks interesting, thanks for highlighting it.

Detail here:

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/see-a-large-stony-asteroid-race-across-the-sky/
 

It looks like it will be tough from the U.K., only at 10.9 degrees altitude at transit at 8.15pm. Should be good from those further South though 👍

 

Fortunately, it’ll be heading rapidly northwards and the following nights it’ll still be around 11th magnitude and at a much higher altitude in Pegasus, then Cygnus. Better for us northerners.

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1 hour ago, Stu said:

Looks interesting, thanks for highlighting it.

Detail here:

https://skyandtelescope.org/astronomy-news/see-a-large-stony-asteroid-race-across-the-sky/
 

It looks like it will be tough from the U.K., only at 10.9 degrees altitude at transit at 8.15pm. Should be good from those further South though 👍

CCCED0DF-D2A0-4A52-807D-0CECBBB032D3.png

Yeah it should be a phenomenal event Stu! By the way, how did you find the asteroid on Sky Safari? I've been trying but can't find it😥

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8 minutes ago, lukebl said:

Fortunately, it’ll be heading rapidly northwards and the following nights it’ll still be around 11th magnitude and at a much higher altitude in Pegasus, then Cygnus. Better for us northerners.

Thanks Luke. Yes, looks much better on 18th and 19th, though I guess it will be moving a bit slower once it is past closest approach? 18th looks good actually, 2 million km away, mag 10.2 and at 37 degrees at 7.30pm

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F2F3D6C5-9FBE-44AD-BC7D-2CD7D8085B39.png

501E15C6-4572-4AD6-806B-AFFB354833FC.png

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6 minutes ago, Epick Crom said:

Yeah it should be a phenomenal event Stu! By the way, how did you find the asteroid on Sky Safari? I've been trying but it can't find it😥

I just searched for 7482 and it came up. I have 7 Pro but if you make sure you update the minor body database in yours it should be there I hope.

1EA39899-A66D-49AF-9DFA-E256A1213EB5.png

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29 minutes ago, Stu said:

I just searched for 7482 and it came up. I have 7 Pro but if you make sure you update the minor body database in yours it should be there I hope.

1EA39899-A66D-49AF-9DFA-E256A1213EB5.png

Hi Stu. I'm using SS Plus 6, just updated my minor body database but it still can't find the object. Oh well looks like I will just have to get it's position from online maps. Hope you get to observe this upcoming rare event!

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54 minutes ago, Epick Crom said:

Hi Stu. I'm using SS Plus 6, just updated my minor body database but it still can't find the object. Oh well looks like I will just have to get it's position from online maps. Hope you get to observe this upcoming rare event!

Strange. I have a copy of SkySafari 6 Pro and it is listed in there. I think the Solar System database should be the same between Plus and Pro.

AAB836D5-03DF-473B-87FB-F6DB558288A5.png

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58 minutes ago, Stu said:

Strange. I have a copy of SkySafari 6 Pro and it is listed in there. I think the Solar System database should be the same between Plus and Pro.

AAB836D5-03DF-473B-87FB-F6DB558288A5.png

I tried again using the brackets this time but still nothing 😟

Screenshot_2022-01-15-21-58-40-05.png

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7 hours ago, Epick Crom said:

Hi Voyager 3 and thanks for the tip. I just tried it but still nothing. Are you using SS Pro? I'm using Plus

 

Yes , I'm using Pro but I'm quite sure the plus database will have this asteroid ..

One mistake in searching that I commonly do is typing the first word after leaving a space unknowingly. The search just doesn't accept the space for some reason. Maybe you did the same too?

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Given the clear skies tonight, and the poor forecast tomorrow, I’m going to try this tonight. It will likely be a spectacular failure but let’s see. I’ve put two four inch scopes out, the Genesis and Vixen plus 10x60 RACI and RDF, all aligned together although the scopes are likely slightly out.

With a 31mm Nagler I get 5 degrees so hopefully I will have a chance of finding it. Hopefully it’s not too murky down low, and the rugby boys aren’t practicing tonight (floodlights) I actually don’t know how low the horizon is here, so even if I establish that tonight it will have been productive.

1FC02606-A19E-4E8B-9F47-EB7DFCB7188F.thumb.jpeg.f04552b7bb724f0040010cce791a4854.jpeg

9416A12B-9DCC-4EFB-96E2-A75B9B205BA3.thumb.jpeg.548229a728c4eb74a723007be7cf52be.jpeg

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On 15/01/2022 at 14:01, Stu said:

Strange. I have a copy of SkySafari 6 Pro and it is listed in there. I think the Solar System database should be the same between Plus and Pro

Stu,

I am using SS6 Plus and it is missing for me.

Andy

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1 hour ago, fozzybear said:

Stu,

I am using SS6 Plus and it is missing for me.

Andy

Interesting. I assumed the solar system databases were the same, but checking further it seems Pro has far more objects in the solar system database.

B7E0E2C6-C856-4B12-A926-01A791EAEFA9.png

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17 minutes ago, Stu said:

Interesting. I assumed the solar system databases were the same, but checking further it seems Pro has far more objects in the solar system database.

B7E0E2C6-C856-4B12-A926-01A791EAEFA9.png

Stu,

Many thanks for clarifying this. Shame you cannot go an upgrade path at a cheaper rate looked all over unless otherwise?

Andy

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5 hours ago, Stu said:

Given the clear skies tonight, and the poor forecast tomorrow, I’m going to try this tonight. It will likely be a spectacular failure but let’s see. I’ve put two four inch scopes out, the Genesis and Vixen plus 10x60 RACI and RDF, all aligned together although the scopes are likely slightly out.

With a 31mm Nagler I get 5 degrees so hopefully I will have a chance of finding it. Hopefully it’s not too murky down low, and the rugby boys aren’t practicing tonight (floodlights) I actually don’t know how low the horizon is here, so even if I establish that tonight it will have been productive.

1FC02606-A19E-4E8B-9F47-EB7DFCB7188F.thumb.jpeg.f04552b7bb724f0040010cce791a4854.jpeg

9416A12B-9DCC-4EFB-96E2-A75B9B205BA3.thumb.jpeg.548229a728c4eb74a723007be7cf52be.jpeg

Good luck with your search Stu 🤞

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Well, I did promise spectacular failure and that’s what I delivered 🤣🤣. I’ll post a report but basically I couldn’t get down to the necessary magnitude in these scopes. Perhaps should have tried the 150p, but I didn’t! Good fun evening though.

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Nice try Stu, here up north it was around 7 degrees at transit so absolutely no chance from my location, which is a pity as the conditions were very good indeed. it was estimated around the 11th mag last night so you scopes should have bagged it relatively easily I would have thought. I'm looking at its path now and hopefully I'll get a window tonight to view this. The weather doesn't look great but there may be a window earlier in the night. Its very well placed over the coming days so we should get a chance to view it, though closest approach would be nice.

Just on the subject of software to find this, I used Cartes du ciel. You have to download the full asteroid data as the default is set to 5000.  it seems to be close to the various finder charts out there, but I will need to check against the current ephemeris. I can control the scope with CdC so that solves that problem.

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Just now, skyhog said:

Nice try Stu, here up north it was around 7 degrees at transit so absolutely no chance from my location, which is a pity as the conditions were very good indeed. it was estimated around the 11th mag last night so you scopes should have bagged it relatively easily I would have thought. I'm looking at its path now and hopefully I'll get a window tonight to view this. The weather doesn't look great but there may be a window earlier in the night. Its very well placed over the coming days so we should get a chance to view it, though closest approach would be nice.

Just on the subject of software to find this, I used Cartes du ciel. You have to download the full asteroid data as the default is set to 5000.  it seems to be close to the various finder charts out there, but I will need to check against the current ephemeris. I can control the scope with CdC so that solves that problem.

Thanks. Yes as it gets higher it should be much easier. I thought I would try it because I’m not sure I will get a break in the cloud over the next couple of days. Would be nice to see when it is moving fastest against the background stars.

I think I was just defeated by the Moon and atmospheric extinction, pushed me down to about mag 9 at best where the asteroid was.

Good luck!

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Unlucky Stu.. The early evening weather forecast here is touch and go, so a mount is assembled in the conservatory and I'll be looking out of the window all afternoon... Tonight the target should clear the roof tops so it's worth a try.

There is live feed for those who won't get the chance to observe the asteroid:

https://www.virtualtelescope.eu/webtv/

 

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App available on Android called "star walk 2", has a 7 day trial period and will show you location of 7482.  I have just checked the location given with those given by Stu's SS6 pro and it matches so if you want an app to check, there you go.

BTW looking at the app it isn't much good for other work, kinda fiddly so I doubt I will be keeping this going after the trial.

Think I will try mounting two scopes and differing magnifications like stu did assuming sky plays ball, looking 50/50 here.

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Bit of playing around gives you this. It will almost (but not quite) follow this line passing Mira circa 5.30pm and onto E pisces around 9.45 pm.

That distance in degrees is around the 8 mark so it is covering roughly 2 degrees of sky every hour.

It should be sat next to 63 cet if this is correct at 6.30pm, that is my aim all being well. 

HTH

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