The Asteroid/Comet Connection's
daily news journal about
asteroids, comets, and meteors

Today's issue status: done

• News briefs – bits & pieces
• Risk monitoring – NEODyS & JPL have removed 2004 HW, JPL has removed 2004 HQ1 & NEODyS has posted 2004 HE62 & removed 2004 HK33
  – JPL has removed 2004 HE62 & 2004 HK33

Cover: The third potentially hazardous kilometer-plus asteroid discovered from Australia in 18 days is 2004 HE62, found by the Siding Spring Survey April 28th and, shown at left, confirmed by John Broughton at Reedy Creek Observatory on the 30th. He notes that "The 'stalactites' on bright stars are caused by an overflow of electrons from pixel elements in the CCD array." See more 2004 HE62 news below, and the April 16th cover shows Reedy Creek's own PHA discovery (last impact solution removed yesterday).

Bits & pieces:  The Rosetta misson has a status report today, "First Earth Pointing of Payload."

A Space.com article today, "City-Sized Asteroid to Pass Earth This Fall," tells about multi-kilometer 4179 Toutatis's September flyby, at about four lunar distances, that may be visible with binoculars.

An Associated Press wire story carried by many news outlets since Saturday, including the Toronto Globe and Mail today, "NASA considers robot to save Hubble," tells about the flight readiness of various existing space robot projects such as Ranger, Robonaut, Skyworker, and Dextre. See also a NASA news release posted May 1st at SpaceRef.com, and a piece at the Baltimore Sun May 1st, "Robots to the rescue for the ailing Hubble?"

The Flagstaff Arizona Daily Republic has an article from yesterday, "ASU professor shows link between space and literature," about David Levy.

Risk monitoring 3 May

The Monday Daily Orbit Update MPEC (DOU) is an all-Australian affair for tracking objects with impact solutions. It has 2004 HW observed Friday from the Australian National University (ANU) 1m telescope at Siding Spring Observatory, and today NEODyS and JPL both removed their last impact solutions for this kilometer-size object that was discovered by the Siding Spring Survey.

2004 HK33 is in the DOU from the ANU 1m telescope from Friday and yesterday. Today NEODyS removed this kilometer-size object while JPL narrowed down to one remaining low-rated solution.

Also reported from the ANU 1m telescope yesterday is 2004 HQ1. Today JPL removed its last solution for this small object, while NEODyS added a second solution and raised its low overall 2004 HQ1 risk ratings.

And 2004 HE62 was caught Saturday by Reedy Creek Observatory in Australia as well by the ANU 1m telescope, which also observed it yesterday. Today

NEODyS posted 2004 HE62, and JPL raised its low risk ratings for this kilometer-size object discovered at Siding Spring (see confirmation imagery above).

Update:  JPL has now removed its last solutions for 2004 HE62 and 2004 HK33.