Asteroyd at peak tonight ????

[Teddy]

Hi all

Just a quick one

Can remember where i have read it but ...... can anyone tell me if there is an asteroyd (spell check) on view tonight. It said that its best for viewing 17/18th and i really wanted to have a go at finding it. (not that the weather looks good enough) it was able to be veiwed through binos and thats all i know.

Any details to what it is and its position would be great

Sorry for lack of info:o

Teddy

[LukeSkywatcher]

I think Vesta is visible over the next 24 hrs. It can be found in the constellation of Leo.

[Cornelius Varley]

Is Asteroyd somewhere up in Yorkshire ?

Peter

(Asteroid)

[Teddy]

haha it could be un yorkshire !!

due to being Dyslexic (and i cant spell that either .......) i do struggle with spelling. i am also at work so no time to check. I just rely on people bearing with me.

Whats funny is my spelling is that bad i dont know which words are wrong and which are right .

Cheers Luke.....will see if it is vesta when i get home. rings a bell. do you know out about it

[geoff_k]

I think that Vesta is at opposition around now and according to the estimable Pete Lawrence on the Sky and Night and my Starry Night software it is very close to Algieba in Leo.

In fact, I suggest you watch the programme it featured in. The bit on Vesta is towards the end. It can be found on BBC IPlayer at BBC iPlayer - The Sky at Night: The Spirit of Mars

Might have a go myself always assuming that the blasted cloud ever clears. Usually endeavours (successfully) to screw up anything interesting in the night sky.

Otherwise we will have to wait for the pretty pictures from the Dawn probe next year.

Geoff

[WayBig]

Any advice on how to tell that you're looking at vesta - and not a star?

[geoff_k]

Not really as it is only about 600 metres across. You need a good star map and ideally two nights separate observing as Vesta will have moved in relation to the 'fixed' stars.

This from the Jodrell Bank website may well help. Click on it for a larger size.

Geoff

[Mark at Beaufort]

Vesta went straight between the stars Algieba and 40 Leonis last night. Algieba is mag 2 and 40 Leo is mag 4.75. Vesta which was very clear in my William Optics 66mm frac is just under mag 6.

Tonight Vesta would have moved about 20 arc mins and will form a triangle with these two stars.

Mark

[Jove]

Yes, I think I saw it in binoculars - it makes a triangle with the middle star in the sickle of Leo - as the map above indicates. It looked just like a star to me, only discovered what it was when I checked Stellarium to see what the triangle is. It should have moved a bit by tomorrow, stretching the triangle - will check to see if the clouds don't roll in.

[Teddy]

Cheers for all your help but guess what ........... Clouds clouds clouds.

Might have a go tonight but weather is not good.