Earth's Busy Neighborhood
ACC's Small Object Report for 30 April to 6 May 2007
A semi-automated report compiled on 6 May 2007 at 2359 UTC
Four small asteroids reported in the last 168 hours, during which one was newly discovered.
Currently 1,308 NEAs are listed with H>22.0 by JPL and/or the MPC (1,127 are listed as such by both).
[ news | objects by size | object index alpha/cross-ref | 48 Hours | viewing | weekly ]
Editor's note: As asteroids go, "small" is defined as having an
absolute magnitude (brightness) calculated at greater than H=22.0, which
converts very roughly to a diameter under 135 meters.
No matter how close they come to the Earth, the astronomical community
does not classify such objects as "potentially hazardous." However, as
demonstrated by the mile wide (1.6 km.) Barringer Crater in Arizona, blasted
out by a "small" asteroid some 50,000 years ago, there are asteroids too small
to be labeled "potentially hazardous" that actually could cause severe local
damage. These are sometimes called "Tunguska-class objects" (TCOs), after the
1908 event probably caused by a comet fragment or asteroid too small to be
classified today as hazardous but packing enough wallop to flatten a Siberian
forest area the size of a large city.
NEODyS in December 2005 changed its main Risk page to classify "Objects too
small to result in heavy damage on the ground" as having "absolute
magnitude > 25," which corresponds to perhaps 35 meters wide.
And JPL two months earlier started flagging (with a blue background) risk-listed
objects of "Estimated diameter 50 meters or less" as "not likely to
cause significant damage in the event of an impact, although impact damage
does depend heavily upon the specific (and usually unknown) physical
properties of the object in question."
Small asteroids that come close enough to Earth to be seen have significant
potential for scientific study today, and for exploration and
exploitation in the future. They present a sampling of distant asteroid
populations and a few may be remnants of the event that created the
Earth-Moon system.
Some of these objects are discovered while close to Earth moving across the sky
quite quickly, when they are called "FMOs" or "VFMOs" (very fast moving objects).
The discovery and follow-up tracking of asteroids with H>22.0 represents
some of the most difficult and very best observing work being done today by
amateur and professional astronomers around the world, and the page you are
reading is dedicated to recognizing their ongoing successes.
Small Object News (newest items first) [ object listings |
index |
48 Hours |
viewing |
weekly |
top ]
- May 6: On Sunday there is no news of small asteroids.
- May 5: Saturday Daily Orbit Update (DOU) MPEC 2007-J20 reports observations of two small asteroids -- 2007 CQ5 from Smolyan Observatory in Bulgaria on April 20th and 2007 GU1, which is now out of view, from Moletai Observatory in Lithuania on April 14th.
- May 1-4: No observations of small asteroids were reported in the Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday DOU MPECs, which isn't unusual around the time of the full Moon.
- April 30 #2: The discovery of small asteroid 2007 HD84 has been announced, found four mornings ago UT by the Mt. Lemmon Survey in Arizona and confirmed two mornings ago with the Spacewatch 1.8-meter telescope and that evening by Remanzacco Observatory in Italy. The MPC's first MOID calculation has it coming no closer to Earth than 49 lunar distances.
- April 30 #1: Monday DOU MPEC 2007-H75 reports observation of one small asteroid -- a single astrometric position for 2007 EC from March 4th from the SZTE Asteroid Program in Hungary early in that object's discovery arc.
- See news from the week of 23-29 April and from previous weeks. You also can look up reports on individual small asteroids.
Object Listings -- smallest objects first [ Alpha Index | 48 Hours | top ]
2007 GU1 (K07G01U) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 34 meters per JPL H=24.99, MPC H=25.0
This object was listed from 11 until 12 April 2007 as an impact risk.
JPL classifies 2007 GU1 as an Apollo and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.000060 AU (0.02 LD),
and reports this object passed Earth at 2.1 lunar distances (LD) on 16 April 2007 at 0037 UT.
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2007-J20:
Moletai Obs. [152]
2007-04-14 2246-2300, 10 pos. in MPEC 2007-J20, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 22 April 2007.
2007 HD84 (K07H84D) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 69 meters per JPL H=23.44, MPC H=23.4
JPL classifies 2007 HD84 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.125765 AU (48.94 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2007-H76:
Mt. Lemmon Survey (MLS) [G96]
2007-04-26 0407-0431, 4 pos. in MPEC 2007-H76, discovery (*)
2007-04-26 0555-0959, 23 pos. in MPEC 2007-H76, confirmation
Spacewatch 1.8m telescope [291]
2007-04-28 0448-0502, 3 pos. in MPEC 2007-H76, confirmation (H)
Remanzacco Obs. [473]
2007-04-28 2000-2006, 3 pos. in MPEC 2007-H76, confirmation
2007 EC (K07E00C) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 122 meters per JPL H=22.21, MPC H=22.2
JPL classifies 2007 EC as an Aten and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.024230 AU (9.43 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2007-H75:
SZTE Asteroid Program [461]
2007-03-04 2256-2256, 1 pos. in MPEC 2007-H75, follow-up (s)
See also information from the week ending 15 April 2007.
2007 CQ5 (K07C05Q) [ JPL Orbit Viewer | NEODyS object home | news | viewing | index | top ]
Size estimate: 128 meters per JPL H=22.11, MPC H=22.1
This object was listed from 8 until 11 Feb. 2007 as an impact risk.
JPL classifies 2007 CQ5 as an Amor and calculates an Earth MOID of 0.115337 AU (44.88 LD).
Observations are reported from the following observatories in MPEC 2007-J20:
Smolyan Obs. [071]
2007-04-20 2247-2259, 3 pos. in MPEC 2007-J20, follow-up
See also information from the week ending 29 April 2007.
48+120 Hours [ Objects Listings (size order) | Object Index (alpha/xref) | top ]
Observations of four small objects were reported during the last 168 hours:
2007 CQ5, 2007 EC, 2007 GU1 & 2007 HD84
in MPECs:
2007-H75 time-stamped 2007 Apr. 30, 06:08 UT - Daily Orbit Update
2007-H76 time-stamped 2007 Apr. 30, 15:20 UT - 2007 HD84
2007-J20 time-stamped 2007 May 5, 06:07 UT - Daily Orbit Update
Date & times for other sources that were parsed to compile this page:
JPL Close Approaches, downloaded at 2007 May 6, 1521 UTC
JPL NEO Orbital Elements, downloaded at 2007 May 5, 1443 UTC
MPC NEA.DAT from MPC mirror, downloaded at 2007 May 6, 1520 UTC
Risk monitoring sites, as of A/CC's check at 2007 May 6, 1518 UTC (see CRT page)
Some observation sets have MPEC codes in parentheses, such as (*) denoting discovery.
Viewing Opportunities for Small Objects [ news | size order | alpha order | top ]
This compilation shows 17 small objects as being currently in view,
including 14 not reported in the last seven days.
Viewing by date order - see this list also by designation order
Object View until MOID AU Dia H Arc Notes (calc date)
---------- ---------- -------- --- ----- --- - -----------------------
2007 HP 2007-05-07 0.008676 87 22.94 9 - was risk listed, past obs. (27 April)
2007 HZ58 2007-05-09 0.052067 36 24.86 3 - past obs. (28 April)
2007 GY1 2007-05-11 0.009236 102 22.61 13 - past obs. (25 April)
2007 HD15 2007-05-11 0.002265 51 24.09 6 - was risk listed, past obs. (29 April)
2007 GU4 2007-05-12 0.017361 106 22.53 8 - was risk listed, past obs. (22 April)
2007 EC 2007-05-13 0.024230 122 22.21 41 - (30 April)
2007 FJ1 2007-05-19 0.092173 57 23.88 34 - past obs. (21 April)
2000 HO40 2007-05-20 0.039459 124 22.19 10 - faint recov. poss. (10 Feb.)
2007 HH44 2007-05-22 0.039911 32 25.09 4 - was risk listed, past obs. (29 April)
2000 UY33 2007-05-24 0.118565 133 22.03 2op - "only 1 night", past obs. (28 April)
2007 BC8 2007-05-26 0.039473 119 22.28 49 - past obs. (14 March)
2007 EO 2007-06-09 0.039430 94 22.78 23 - past obs. (3 April)
2007 HL4 2007-06-20 0.032605 48 24.23 3 - past obs. (23 April)
2007 CQ5 2007-06-23 0.115337 128 22.11 79 - was risk listed (5 May)
2004 KH17 2007-06-28 0.004017 139 21.94 16 - faint recov. poss. (2 April)
2007 HD84 2007-06-28 0.125765 69 23.44 3 - (30 April)
2006 SY5 2007-09-15 0.104669 129 22.10 62 - past obs. (2 April)
Coming into view soon:
2004 LK 2007-10-13 0.068107 99 22.68 78 - >12 May, faint recov. poss. (2 April)
Viewing by designation order - see also Viewing by date order
Object View until MOID AU Dia H Arc Notes (calc date)
---------- ---------- -------- --- ----- --- - -----------------------
2007 HD84 2007-06-28 0.125765 69 23.44 3 - (30 April)
2007 HZ58 2007-05-09 0.052067 36 24.86 3 - past obs. (28 April)
2007 HH44 2007-05-22 0.039911 32 25.09 4 - was risk listed, past obs. (29 April)
2007 HD15 2007-05-11 0.002265 51 24.09 6 - was risk listed, past obs. (29 April)
2007 HL4 2007-06-20 0.032605 48 24.23 3 - past obs. (23 April)
2007 HP 2007-05-07 0.008676 87 22.94 9 - was risk listed, past obs. (27 April)
2007 GU4 2007-05-12 0.017361 106 22.53 8 - was risk listed, past obs. (22 April)
2007 GY1 2007-05-11 0.009236 102 22.61 13 - past obs. (25 April)
2007 FJ1 2007-05-19 0.092173 57 23.88 34 - past obs. (21 April)
2007 EO 2007-06-09 0.039430 94 22.78 23 - past obs. (3 April)
2007 EC 2007-05-13 0.024230 122 22.21 41 - (30 April)
2007 CQ5 2007-06-23 0.115337 128 22.11 79 - was risk listed (5 May)
2007 BC8 2007-05-26 0.039473 119 22.28 49 - past obs. (14 March)
2006 SY5 2007-09-15 0.104669 129 22.10 62 - past obs. (2 April)
2004 LK 2007-10-13 0.068107 99 22.68 78 - >12 May, faint recov. poss. (2 April)
2004 KH17 2007-06-28 0.004017 139 21.94 16 - faint recov. poss. (2 April)
2000 UY33 2007-05-24 0.118565 133 22.03 2op - "only 1 night", past obs. (28 April)
2000 HO40 2007-05-20 0.039459 124 22.19 10 - faint recov. poss. (10 Feb.)
Out-of-view date based on MPES solar elongation <40° and/or magnitude V>22.0 at 1200 UT
geocentric. (Not factored in is any lunar interference with viewing.)
Objects are linked in the left-most column only if observed in the last seven days,
while objects with earlier small-object reporting are linked under "Notes."
Diameter ("Dia") is in meters, a very rough estimate from brightness (H).
Observing "Arc" is from MPES in days or number of oppositions.
"In view" does not necessarily mean locatable for objects with short arcs in prior years
and for which a large search or accidental rediscovery are the best hopes.
Small object observation cross index [ size order | 48 Hours | viewing | top ]
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