Here's an article about a commercial attempt to mine a metal-rich asteoid that looks interesting:

Against all odds, an asteroid mining company appears to be making headway | Ars Technica

For obvious reasons, they don't identify the asteroid of interest. They don't want any claim jumpers. Pretty cool.

Phil S.

There's new research about the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs (and 70% of the other life on earth) 66 million years ago. The 10 km diameter object seems to have come from the outer solar system beyond Jupiter, unlike the more recent impacting objects. Researchers analyzed the isotopes of ruthenium in the K-T boundary layer at the end of the Cretaceous period to make their determination. Here's a link to the article:

Tracking down the asteroid that sealed the fate of the dinosaurs | ScienceDaily

Hope you find it interesting,

Phil S.

Good afternoon,
Is there a complete NGC catalogue available via Skyhound ? If there is one, where and how can i download it ?
Wouldn't it be usefull to have complete NGC-catalogue, so that you can see in 1 catalogue wich Ngc you already have observed.

thank you
Cis

I've tried multiple ways to clear out the Letter P ( blue box ) on the Far Left Column of the Target Selection Tab. I am aware this indicates an active Project.

Although......the projects ( Eastern & Western Veil ) do not appear in the Scheduler Tab.
The projects are marked complete in the Observations Tab - so it makes sense for the projects not to show up in the Scheduler Tab. 

But why are these completed projects still showing up in the Target Selection Tab ? The Observations Tab indicates the projects are complete.

I have included screens shots for reference - hoping I would find the answer easily in this forum and something simple I am overlooking.

thank you in advance

Attached Files

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CNEOS predicts that the newly discovered Apollo class NEO, 2024 PZ3, will make a close approach on 2024-Aug-15 01:39±00:01 UT at a distance of 0.00185 AU moving with V Relative=12.19 km/sec, H=25.3 magnitude, diameter 23 m - 51 m and 'Rarity'=2. There is a  2 day observation arc, the Condition Code=8 and the Earth MOID=0.00132646 AU. The solution date was 2024-Aug-13 05:26:39 PDT. The initial reported observation was by ATLAS Chile, Rio Hurtado on 2024-08-12.

Using MPC's elements for the epoch 2024 Aug 13 0000 UT, ST4.1.11.10 Visual predicts that this NEO will reach a peak brightness 15.0 magnitude on 2024 Aug 14 at 1700 EDT 345.96k km distant when it will be traveling through Circinus ~360"/minute in daylight below the horizon in Columbus, Ohio. Close approach is predicted (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Aug 14 2200 EDT at a distance of 279.79k km and 16.5 magnitude traveling through Centaurus at 533"/minute below the horizon in Columbus, Ohio. This object is best observed from the southern hemisphere, weather permitting.

Here's the Object Info dialog for 2024 PZ3: [attachment=3223]

Good hunting,

Phil S.

Here's a link to an article about the end of NASA'a NEOWISE asteroid mission:

NASA's Mission to Monitor Near-Earth Objects Comes to an End – PJ Media

Hope that you find it interesting,

Phil S.

CNEOS predicts the close approach of the kilometer-sized, Amor class NEO, (164217) 2004 PT42, on 2024-Aug-15 09:10±<00:01 UT at a distance of 0.17961 AU moving with V Relative= 25.91 km/sec, H=17.3 magnitude, diameter 930 m - 2.1 km and 'Rarity'=1. There is a 8946 day observation arc, the Condition Code=0 and the Earth MOID=0.163494 AU. The solution date was 2024-Aug-07 06:20:03 PDT. This MP was discovered at Siding Spring on 2004-08-11 by Siding Spring Survey. This object isn't on MPC's list of PHAs because the MOID is too large. It's predicted to be almost this close again (0.18282 AU) on 2181 Aug 21 15:56 UT.

Using MPC's elements for 2024 Aug 7 0000 UT, ST4.1.11.10 Visual predicts that this MP will have a peak brightness of 14.9 magnitude from the evening of August 14 to the morning of August 16 (the light curve is rather flat due to the distance) when the NEO will be traveling through Aquarius at ~11"/minute. Close approach is predicted (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Aug 15 0500 EDT when the MP will be traveling through Aquarius at ~12"/minute. This large NEO should be brighter than 15.5 magnitude from August 9 (near the Pisces-Pegasus boarder) to August 21 Phoenix.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this NEO: [attachment=3222]

Good hunting,

Phil S.

CNEOS predicts that the recently discovered NEO, 2024 KH3, will make a close approach on 2024-Aug-10 15:13 ±<00:01 UT at a distance of 0.03728 AU moving with V Relative=11.42 km/sec, H=21.3 magnitude, diameter 150 m - 330 m and 'Rarity'=1. There is a 68 day observation arc, the Condition Code=5 and the Earth MOID=0.0375829 AU .The solution date was 2024-Aug-06 05:49:56 PDT. The initial reported observation was by Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala on 2024-05-29. This object is large enough to make the list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) with H<22 magnitude.

Using MPC's elements for the epoch 2024 Aug 6 0000 UT, ST4.1.11.10 Visual predicts that peak brightness 14.5 magnitude will occur on August 11 at 0300 EDT when the MP will be traveling through Capricorn at 24"/minute. Close approach is predicted (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Aug 10 1100 EDT when the MP is predicted to be 14.8 magnitude traveling through Aquarius at 26"/minute in daylight and below the horizon in Columbus, Ohio. The close approach should be well observed from Australia, weather permitting. This NEO should be brighter than 16 magnitude from August 7 in Aquila to August 14 in Piscis Austrinis.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this object: [attachment=3220]

Good hunting,

Phil S.

CNEOS predicts that the newly discovered Apollo class NEO will make a close approach on 2024-Aug-06 21:40±<00:01 UT at a distance of 0.00935 AU moving with V Relative=12.21 km/sec, H=24.2 magnitude, diameter 38 m - 84 m and 'Rarity'=1. There is a 26 day observation arc, the Condition Code=7 and the Earth MOID=0.000537391 AU. The solution date was 2024-Aug-02 06:23:02 PDT. The initial reported observation was  by Moonbase South Observatory, Hakos on 2024-07-29. The observation arc was extended by observations on 2024 07 06.411500 by F51 – Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala. This NEO wasn't on the MPC's list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) that I downloaded on 2024 Aug 2, but it should make the list eventually due to its size and the small MOID value. As of 2024 August 2, CNEOS hasn't predicted any future close approaches for this object.

Using MPC's elements for the epoch 2024 Aug 2 0000 UT, ST4.1.11.10 Visual predicts that this NEO will reach a peak brightness of 15.9 magnitude on the morning of August 6 at a distance of 0.01 AU when the NEO will be traveling through Cetus at 91"/minute. Close approach is predicted (to the nearest hour) on 2024 Aug 6 at 1800 EDT when the MP is predicted to be 16.3 magnitude traveling through Cetus at 110"/minute, but in daylight and below the horizon as seen from Columbus, Ohio.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this NEO: [attachment=3218]

This object won't be particularly bright, but since the close approach occurs when it's close to the celestial equator, both northern and southern hemisprheres may have a chance to observe it, timing and weather permitting.

Good hunting,

Phil S.

Edit: It looks like objects this small (H=24.2) don't get added to the list of PHAs.

The MPC has updated the epoch of their MPCORB minor planet datafile from the epoch 2024 Mar 31.0 to 2024 Oct 17.0. I noticed the change when I downloaded MPCORB today. The 2024 Mar 31.0 epoch was still being used earlier this week, so the update is very recent.

SkyTools 4.1.11.10 Visual now shows 1371307 minor planets at the current epoch (2024 Aug 1) displayed at the bottom right of the Interactive Atlas.

Phil S.