I started a new Youtube channel for Visual Observing. Its called "Getting Out there with a Telescope."

There are two videos up. The first one was released before in a different form:

I created this animation of 12P over the course of a week.

CNEOS predicts that the NEO 2014 QL433 will make a close approach on 2023-Aug-04 10:05±<00:01 UT at a distance of 0.03575 AU with V Relative=20.62 km/sec, H=19.9 magnitude, diameter 280 m - 630 m, 'Rarity'=1. The Condition Code=0 with a 2217 day observation arc. The Earth MOID=0.00961677 AU. This medium sized NEO has a well determined orbit. Currently it's not on the MPC's list of Potentially Hazardous Objects.

Using MPC's elements for 2023 Jul 30 0000 UT, ST4v predicts that this NEO will reach a maximum brightness of 15.1 magnitude on 2023 Aug 6 0400 EDT (0800 UT) with the MP 0.04 AU distant traveling through Cetus at 35"/minute. The close approach (to the nearest hour) is predicted to occur on 2023 Aug 4 0600 EDT (1000 UT) when the NEO is predicted to be 15.8 magnitude moving through Eridanus at 48"/minute in twilight in Columbus, Ohio.. This MP is near the celestial equator so it should be visible from both the northern & southern hemispheres, weather permitting.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this MP: [attachment=2906]

Good hunting,

Phil S.

Hello,

Whilst setting up to attempt to record the faint Globular Cluster UKS 1, I used HP 1 as a warmup target to get all the gear set up, aligned and calibrated. Both clusters were found in ST4 Imaging via the Database Power Search.

R.A.  17h31m05.0s Dec. -29°58'54" (2000) in Ophiuchus
Magnitude: 12.50
Size: 1.2'
 
Tak Mewlon 210 F11.5
Tak x0.8 Reducer/Flattener
ASI294MM Pro Camera, 4.63u Pixels.
 
A Plate Solve reported a FL of 2135mm (F10.1) at 0.447 arcsec/pixel.

• L: 60x60 secs
  
• R; 20x30 secs
  
• G; 20x30 secs
  
• B; 20x30 secs
  

Well, the UKS 1 VVV CL001 data set is a collection that keeps on surprising me.

Right at the top of the UKS 1 60x60 sec Lum Frames, I discovered a short trail, and the subsequent investigation revealed it to be a Main-belt Asteroid, 9788 Yagami, at mag 18.4, my faintest asteroid to date located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.

The Asteroid’s relatively slow motion allowed it to register on the sensor.

Tak Mewlon 210 F11.5, Reducer x0.8, ASI294MM Camera, 60x60 sec Lum Filter.

9788 Yagami was discovered by Takao Kobayashi, a Japanese amateur astronomer and an outstanding discoverer of minor planets who currently works at the Ōizumi Observatory. The asteroid 3500 Kobayashi is named after him.

Kobayashi has discovered more than 2000 asteroids using CCD technology, including the Amor asteroids 7358 Oze, (23714) 1998 EC3, (48603) 1995 BC2 and about nine Trojan asteroids. He also discovered the periodic comet P/1997 B1 (Kobayashi), which he originally reported as an asteroid.

Ōizumi Observatory (obs. code: 411) is a private astronomical observatory in Ōizumi, Gunma Prefecture, Japan. Takao Kobayashi has made discoveries of numerous minor planets at the observatory. Since its founding, Kobayashi has discovered 1,200 minor asteroids and their positions using a 10-inch (250 mm) telescope.

https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/...ct_id=9788

https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_look...?sstr=9788

Cheers

Dennis

   

   

I've created a new Youtube channel where I share videos about the imaging I am doing. Its called The Imaging Project. This channel is only tangentially related to SkyTools as I use SkyTools to plan the images.

Here is the premiere video. If you like the idea, please consider sharing the link.

I was digging around in the bowels of ST4 Imaging and came up with the faint GC UKS 1 at mag 17.3 using the Database Power Search.

I managed to record a dim trace of UKS 1 along with the more recently discovered VVV CL001. These are very faint bulge Globular Clusters in Sagittarius, heavily obscured by interstellar dust, making optical observations very difficult.

Takahashi Mewlon 210 F11.5
Tak x0.8 Reducer/Flattener.

ASI294M Pro camera, Bortle 6 skies.
·       L: 60X60 secs
·       R: 20X60 secs
·       G: 20X60 secs
·       B: 20X60 secs
·       IR742: 30x60 secs
·       IR807: 20X60 secs

Just 158 globular clusters were known to be in the Milky Way until the European Southern Observatory's VISTA survey telescope, at the Paranal Observatory in Chile, located two faint new ones, called VVV CL001 and VVV CL002. (2011). However, an Australian Amateur Astronomer (Steve Crouch) did report recording what was to become VVV CL001 sometime in 2010, before the professional discovery was announced.

Astronomers have suggested that VVV CL001 is gravitationally tied to UKS 1, which could make these two objects the Milky Way's first binary globular cluster pair, ESO officials said. But this could simply be an effect of the telescope's line of sight, which could be distorting the true distance between the clusters.

Since interstellar dust absorbs and reddens starlight, this newly found pair is quite faint, which explains why they have been hidden for so long. Up until a few years ago, the UKS 1 cluster, which was discovered in 1980, was the dimmest known globular cluster in the Milky Way. However, it easily outshines those found by VISTA.

I have included a PanSTARRS image to show the location of these faint GC’s.

My image is the one that does not have the blown out brighter stars.

Cheers
 
Dennis

   

   

CNEOS predicts that the newly discovered NEO, 2023 OU, will make a close approach on 2023-Jul-22 23:42±<00:01 UT at a distance of 0.00449 AU with V Relative=6.06 km/sec, H=26.1 magnitude, diameter 16 m - 36 m and 'Rarity'=1. The Condition Code=5 with a 12 day observation arc. The Earth MOID = 0.00427008 AU. The first reported observation was by ATLAS South Africa, Sutherland on 2023-07-18, but the observation arc was extendeded with additional observations by Mt. Lemmon Survey on 2023 Jul 8.

Using MPC's elements for 2023 Jul 21 0000 UT, ST4v predicts that this NEO will reach a maximum brightness of 16.2 magnitude on 2023 Jul 22 0400 EDT with the MP in Pavo below the horizon in Columbus, Ohio. This is a southern hemisphere object.

Here's the Object Info dialog for this NEO: [attachment=2888]

Good hunting,

Phil S.