I've uploaded a new video that offers a behind the scenes look at how the Current Lists are created.

https://youtu.be/UlPq0zJpnXA

I replaced the above video with a new one, minus the annoying buzz in the audio. I apologize of your comment on the video was lost in the process.

Hi MP Hunters,

In the past 2 days, I've noticed that some newly discovered NEAs that are listed on JPLs CNEOS website: NEO Earth Close Approaches (nasa.gov)

are not included in the MPC's data file of NEAs at Today's Epoch. The elements can be downloaded from MPC using the single MP option in ST4v, but then you get the elements for the standard epoch (currently 2022 Jan 21 0000UTC). Better than nothing, I suppose.

Two NEO that were missed were 2022 EG, yesterday & 2022 EQ today. 2022 EQ came within 0.00097 AU this morning. A really close pass.

There's not really much to be done about it. It's nice that SkyTools can get the orbital elements from MPC & will update the elements from the standard epoch with newer elements when they're available.

Phil S.

SkyTools 4 imaging does not start with the current date, but some date that I had previously used.  Planning could be a week off before I catch that.  Is there any way to make it start with the current date as default?  ST3 always started with the current date.

The NEO (455176) 1999 VF22 has a close approach with us from the morning of Feb 19 to Feb 21. Maximum brightness is predicted to be ~16 magnitude. This one is good size, but not too close.

Here's the Object Information dialog: [attachment=2276]

Good hunting,

Phil S.

There's a bright supernova in NGC 4645B in Centaurus. According to the updated Current Bright Novae & Supernovae Observing List in ST4 Visual this Type I SN is 0.3 magnitude. If you're not checking this OL regularly, you might want to do so. The Dec is -41° so it's pretty far south.

Phil S.

The recently discover small rock 2022 CO6 will make a close pass to me on Feb 15 @2:52 while ~mag 13.2 moving 517"/min thru Gemini into Auriga. A bright near full moon will be 30° away! The fast moving small rock will be brighter (12.8) on the evening of the 14th but closer to the Moon. Drats!! I plan to attempt an observation anyway as the skies are predicted to be clear. And the rock will be moving only a bit slower 6'/min.

I managed to grab a few images showing the track of the James Webb Space Telescope in its orbit around the second Lagrange point (L2). I obtained the JWST positional data from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory Horizons System at:
 
https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons/app.html#/
 
"The James Webb Space Telescope is located some 1.5 million kilometres (1 million miles) away from the Earth at what is called the second Lagrange point or L2. What is special about this orbit is that it lets the telescope stay in line with the Earth as it moves around the Sun. This allows the satellite's large sunshield to protect the telescope from the light and heat of the Sun and Earth (and Moon)."
 
I grabbed a series of images (with some cloud interruptions) on Wed 9th Feb 2022, between 9:04pm and 9:35pm AEST, (2022-02-09T11:04 to 11:35 UT), Brisbane, QLD, Australia.
 
I used a Celestron C9.25 Edge HD with the Celestron x0.7 Reducer (1645mm fl) and the QHY268M camera. Each frame was exposed for 120 secs. I understand that it is approx. magnitude 17.9.
 
After processing the image set, I saw a trail that looked too good to be true and sure enough, it was. The obvious trail belonged to an Asteroid, Number 15520, aka 1999 XK98.
 
Oh well, back to the drawing board. I loaded the individual calibrated and aligned frames into PixInsight and used the Blink Process and sure enough, I could just make out a small clump of pixels marching across the screen in the predicted positions of the JWST as the frames advanced. Each clump was barely above the background level but became obvious when blinked.
 
I loaded the frames into PS CC and used Layer Masks to combine the trail of the LWST and also raise the brightness level of the trail, above the background, to make it more conspicuous.
 
Image details (cropped from full frame):
Center (RA, hms): 07h 28m 41.669s
Center (Dec, dms): +10° 30' 09.775"
Size: 9.84 x 7.38 arcmin
Pixel scale: 0.461 arcsec/pixel
Orientation: Up is 360 degrees E of N
2022-02-09T11:04 to 11:42 UT. (9:04pm to 9:42pm AEST)
Each frame exposed for 120 seconds.
 
Asteroid details:
Object Name: 15520 1999 XK98
Object Type: Asteroid
Magnitude: 16.85
 
Bands of clouds rolled in during the session so there are a few gaps in the trail.
 
Cheers
 
Dennis

   

   

The Apollo class MP 2022 BH7 is predicted to reach 13.9 magnitude Feb 18@0000 EST at Re 0.02 AU. The predicted motion is 90.5"/min when it will be in Gemini.  It's currently in Sextans at 18.9 magnitude moving at 46.9"/hr. ST4 predicts it will be visible from Feb 14 (15.6 mag) to 18 (14.7 mag). CNEOS lists the Condition Code as 8 with 8 days of observations (35 observations).

This looks like a good one with plenty of warning!

Good luck,

Phil S,

I know.... nobody plans out this far.....but it just jumped out at me due to the magnitude.

It's actually brightest well before it catches up and crosses inside our orbit. Being Brightest (14th mag) in the early morning hours of Feb 28 in the south up 80° moving 17"/min. The skinny moon is ~90° away.

Over the next several days, it remains bright, high and well placed as it speeds up to 30"/min. Close approach coming at 01:57CST Mar 4th at a distance of 12.77LD for me with the big rock low in the ENE. This is a big rock, possibly 3/4 mile. The uncertainty =0, so plotting should be easy.

Moon is not a factor.

It appears that the search capabilities have been expanded of ATLAS to be able to cover the entire dark sky every 24 hours.
https://www.nasa.gov/feature/nasa-astero...sky-search