Contents on 1 May '18
- Traffic Report -- two objects
- IAU Minor Planet Center
- NEOCP Activity -- seven listings
- New MPECs -- one MPEC
- Observers -- thirteen observers
- Impact Risk Monitoring -- two objects
- Chronology
Asteroid/Comet Connection (A/CC) Resources:
- Consolidated Risk Tables - the CRT page
Of 942 risk-listed objects, 44 have had news in the last 31 days. Updated at 1605 UTC on 1 May.
- Ephemerides for risk-listed objects & close passers
- News archive (old) & news image catalog (discontinued)
- Object Links - mainly for radar targets & close passers (mostly discontinued)
- Observing Campaigns (old)
The latest A/CC news is available via framed access, RSS news feed, or redirection.
Navigation tips: Use the << and >> arrows on the menus for each regular section (Observers, Risks, etc.) to move to the previous and next day's news for that section. Use the Index menu item to access specific days through a calendar interface. To keep track of what's new each day, watch the Chronology section.
Traffic Report on 1 May '18
Two objects reported inside ten LD
Two Solar-System small bodies are known to be less than ten lunar distances (LD) from our home world today. 2018 HM2 is outbound from 8.73 to 8.91 LD and risk-listed intruder 2018 HW1 departs from our ten-LD traffic reporting "bubble," gliding away from 9.75 to 10.81 LD.
Neighborhood Traffic - sorted by Earth passage distance, grouped by 1.0, 2.41, 5.0 & 10.0 LD boundaries | |||||
Earth passage | I D | ~Size | Distance today | Inside ten LD | Notes |
0.89 LD April 21 | 2018 HW1 | 22 m | 9.75 to 10.81 LD | April 12 - today | intruder, NHATS target, exits ten LD, risk |
8.72 LD April 30 | 2018 HM2 | 62 m | 8.73 to 8.91 LD | April 27 - May 4 | NHATS target |
Approaching (sorted by 10-LD bubble entry date) | |||||
6.2 LD May 8* | 2016 JQ5 | 8 m | 15.8 from 18.0 LD | May 4 - 11 | EPU +/- 14.00 hours* |
9.65 LD May 7 | 1999 FN19 | 112 m | 11.98 from 12.77 LD | May 5 - 9 | radar/NHATS target - DOU |
6.48 LD May 9 | 388945 2008 TZ3 | 282 m | 16.48 from 18.40 LD | May 5 - 13 | DOU |
9.50 LD May 29 | 68347 2001 KB67 | 371 m | 85.68 from 89.12 LD | May 28 - 30 | radar target |
5.56 LD June 10 | 2018 EJ4 | 186 m | 53.55 from 54.79 LD | June 4 - 16 | radar/NHATS target |
8.96 LD June 11 | 2015 DP155 | 162 m | 37.47 from 38.22 LD | June 6 - 15 | NHATS target |
* EPU = Earth passage uncertainty |
This report was generated at 1754 UTC with first follow-up in today's DOU MPEC for departed (and quite dim) risk-listed intruder 2018 EZ2, adding 35.79 days to its 1.17-day discovery arc. On March 14th this object went by us at 0.56 LD and passed the Moon at 0.53 LD. The DOU also has continuing follow-up for approaching objects 388945 2008 TZ3 and 1999 FN19.
Notes: Ten times the distance to the Moon (ten LD) has no astronomical importance but is a useful boundary for reporting about transient natural objects that approach our planet's gravitational sphere of influence (SOI), which has a radius of about 2.41 LD from Earth's center. This puts a focus on some of the most important and very best NEO observation work, representative of the much larger NEO discovery and tracking effort. Object temporal distances are derived by A/CC from JPL Horizons data. See also current sky chart and object details (alt-details), ephemerides, and today's timeline.
NEOCP Activity on 1 May '18
The MPC's NEO Confirmation Page has 7 listings
When last checked at 2358 UTC today, the Minor Planet Center's Near Earth Object discovery Confirmation Page (NEOCP) had seven objects listed. Of these, four were "one nighters."
To learn how observers use the NEOCP, see the Practical guide on how to observe NEOCP object at Suno Observatory by Birtwhistle et al.
New MPECs on 1 May '18
Minor Planet Electronic Circulars
As of last check at 2358 UTC, there has been one MPEC posted today from the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
<< DOU on 1 May '18 >> MPEC 2018-J01 - "12:10 UT" - Daily Orbit Update
- Observations of risk-listed objects
- K18E02Z 2018 EZ2 (small asteroid, arc=37 days, H=26.5 ~17m, close passer) from Marco Micheli via Cerro Paranal (April 18.37-38p2 at G=26.4-9)
- Observations of recently (no longer) risk-listed objects
- K18G01Y 2018 GY1 (small asteroid, arc=16 days, H=22.1 ~129m) from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.95-96p3)
- Observations of close-passing objects
- J99F19N 1999 FN19 (arc=2 opp, H=22.5 ~107m, NHATS target, radar support) from Farra d'Isonzo Obs. (April 30.82-83p3)
- c8945 388945 2008 TZ3 from Dettelbach Vineyard Obs. (April 29.91-92p3)
- Observation campaigns (NHATS targets, radar support)
- K13U03S 2013 US3 (arc=2 opp, H=21.3 ~186m, NHATS) from JAXA Space Tracking & Communications Center (JAXA STCC) (April 30.57p4) and Starry Wanderer Obs. (April 30.87-88p8)
-- NHATS target table -- Planetary radar schedules: Arecibo & Goldstone - Observations of small asteroids (H>22.0)
- K18E04A 2018 EA4 (Q=4.597 AU, arc=39 days, H=23.3 ~74m) from Astronomical Research Obs. Westfield (April 20.30-34p3 at G=21.6-22.8)
- Observations of other objects
- K18G01J 2018 GJ1 (arc=22 days, H=20.8 ~234m) from Wobblesock Obs. (April 30.46-48p3)
- K18G01H 2018 GH1 (arc=12 days, H=21.6 ~162m) from ARO Westfield (April 20.24-28p3 at G=22.2)
- K18F04N 2018 FN4 (Q=4.324 AU, arc=41 days, H=19.6 ~407m) from Wobblesock Obs. (April 30.49-51p3)
- K18F01Y 2018 FY1 (Q=4.366 AU, arc=44 days, H=19.3 ~467m) from Wobblesock Obs. (April 30.42-44p3)
- K18B02Y 2018 BY2 (arc=117 days, H=20.5 ~269m) from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.95p3) and JAXA STCC (April 30.52p3)
- K16J00P 2016 JP (arc=3 opp, H=21.1 ~204m) from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.90p3), Dettelbach Vineyard Obs. (April 29.89-90p3), and JAXA STCC (April 30.71-72p3)
- K03F03U 2003 FU3 (arc=4 opp, H=20.9 ~224m) from ARO Westfield (April 20.08-12p3)
- J99A04F 1999 AF4 (Q=4.569 AU, arc=2 opp, H=18.5 ~676m) from SATINO-1 (2017 Nov. 30.74p1, 2017 Nov. 30.87p1, 2017 Nov. 30.92p1, 2017 Nov. 30.96p1, 2017 Dec. 1.01p1 & 2017 Dec. 1.05p1)
- n0684 490684 2010 LL34 from ARO Westfield (April 20.14-17p2)
- k3664 463664 2014 JY24 from WISE (April 26.07p1, 26.14p1 & 26.21p1)
- X1509 331509 1999 YA from ARO Westfield (April 20.36-40p3)
- H2034 172034 2001 WR1 from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.87-88p2)
- G3243 163243 2002 FB3 from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.82p2)
- F9609 159609 2002 AQ3 from ARO Westfield (April 20.19-22p2)
- D8847 138847 2000 VE62 from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.94p3), JAXA STCC (April 30.60-61p4), The Studios Obs. (April 30.90-91p2), and Squirrel Valley Obs. (May 1.05-07p4)
- 66251 66251 1999 GJ2 from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.94p3)
- 14402 14402 1991 DB from WISE (April 27.92p1, 28.18p1, 28.32p1, 28.45p1, 28.58p1, 28.71p1, 28.84p2, 28.90p1, 29.10p1, 29.17p1, 29.23p1, 29.30p1, 29.49p1, 29.56p1, 29.69p2, 29.95p1 & 30.08p1)
- 09856 9856 1991 EE from Castelmartini Obs. (April 25.93p3), Dettelbach Vineyard Obs. (April 29.84-86p3), and JAXA STCC (April 30.61p3)
- 03552 3552 Don Quixote (1983 SA) from B. Lutkenhoner via Slooh.com Chile Obs. (April 30.41-42p2)
- 01866 1866 Sisyphus (1972 XA) from Dettelbach Vineyard Obs. (April 29.87-88p3)
Observers on 1 May '18
Thirteen observers appear in today's MPEC.
Code | Observer / observatory |
---|---|
H21 | Astronomical Research Obs. Westfield in Illinois, 6 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 2018 GH1, 2018 EA4, 2003 FU3, 490684, 331509, 159609 |
160 | Castelmartini Obs. in Italy, 8 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 2018 GY1, 2018 BY2, 2016 JP, 66251, 172034, 163243, 138847, 9856 |
309& | Marco Micheli via Cerro Paranal in Chile, 1 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 2018 EZ2 |
K87 | Dettelbach Vineyard Obs. in Germany, 4 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 2016 JP, 388945, 9856, 1866 |
595 | Farra d'Isonzo Obs. in Italy, 1 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 1999 FN19 |
P93 | JAXA Space Tracking & Communications Center (JAXA STCC) in Japan, 5 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 2018 BY2, 2016 JP, 2013 US3, 138847, 9856 |
C95 | SATINO-1 in France, 1 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 1999 AF4 |
W883 | B. Lutkenhoner in Germany via Slooh.com Chile Obs. in Chile, 1 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 3552 |
W34 | Squirrel Valley Obs. in North Carolina, 1 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 138847 |
C36 | Starry Wanderer Obs. in Belarus, 1 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 2013 US3 |
Z52 | The Studios Obs., 1 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 138847 |
C51 | WISE in Earth polar orbit, 2 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 463664, 14402 |
E08 | Wobblesock Obs. in New South Wales, 3 in MPEC 2018-J01 -- 2018 GJ1, 2018 FY1, 2018 FN4 |
For a list of all participating observatories that have Web addresses, see A/CC's Observatory Links page. |
Impact Risk Monitoring on 1 May '18
0000NNN000 Object | Risk Monitor | When Noted UTC | 0000T0000 Year Range | VI # | 000NN00 Prob Cum | T0000 PS Cum | T0000 PS Max | T S | Notes for Today's Latest Risk Assessments |
2018 EZ2 | JPL Sentry | 1600 | 2056-2118 | 8 | 3.53915e-06 | -6.19 | -6.25 | 0 | JPL: Computed at 07:32 today Pacific time based on 88 observations spanning 36.961 days (2018-Mar-12.42083 to 2018-Apr-18.381692). Diameter approximately 0.017 km. from weighted mean H=26.54. |
2014 HD198 | JPL Sentry | 1600 | 2025-2115 | 78 | 6.6711881e-06 | -7.07 | -7.55 | 0 | JPL: Computed at 22:51 April 7th of 2017 Pacific time based on 12 observations spanning .96633 days (2014-Apr-25.13297 to 2014-Apr-26.0993). Diameter approximately 0.004 km. from weighted mean H=29.64. |
Legend: VI# = VI count, Prob Cum = cumulative probability, PS Cum/Max = cumulative/maximum Palermo Scale, TS = Torino Scale (next 100 years)
An impact solution, also known as a "virtual impactor" (VI), is not a prediction but rather a possibility derived from a variant orbit calculation that cannot be eliminated yet based on the existing data. Elimination can come quickly with just a little further observation or may take weeks or months, sometimes years. Once superceded or eliminated, a former impact solution has zero relevance to an object's risk. See Jon Giorgini's "Understanding Risk Pages" to learn more.
Chronology on 1 May '18
Times are UTC for when items were noted or added by The Tracking News.
1754 | Generated Traffic Report |
1600 | Noted that JPL Sentry has updated its 2014 HD198 risk assessment - see above Noted that JPL Sentry has updated its 2018 EZ2 risk assessment - see above Grabbed MPEC 2018-J01 - Daily Orbit Update - see above |