Greg,

How do I set up filters for a OSC CMOS camera? Also I have a IDAS-NBX filter. It's not in the default folder. Will that be eventually be entered into the database?

David

Rarely when a new close pass hops up on CNEOS, no info will be found at Horizons.

JPL/DASTCOM            Small-body Index Search Results    2021-Sep-04 15:26:06

Comet AND asteroid index search:

    DES = 2021 RF;

Matching small-bodies:
    No matches found.



You can go to the discovery info page https://minorplanetcenter.net/db_search
and grab elements there. They will be new and with an uncertainty of high value. In this case 6.
But at least you can run an ephemeris by importing to ST, etc.
And discover that at close approach it may have been between 15-16 mag but very high in south. I say was because that occurred at ~00:00 local CDT this morning. Why no match found at Horizons, I do not know. It will most likely be in standard downloads tomorrow.

Recall 2016 AJ193 close pass a couple weeks ago? Looks like some radar images were captured.
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/planetary-...since-1968

From the orbit simulation image at closest approach of 2016 AJ193, it appears we were getting ready to have a few other close visitors in the coming 10 days. The view is from above Earth. I also created a short video simulating the next ~3 weeks. You can see the small rocks approach b4 they were discovered. https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/597556676

Object           Close Approach UT

(2015 SW6)    2021-Sep-05 21:56
(2021 QM1)    2021-Sep-06 02:13
(2021 QW)     2021-Sep-06 03:03
(2021 QH1)    2021-Sep-07 01:45
(2021 RB)      2021-Sep-08 01:51
(2021 QY3)    2021-Sep-08 02:48
(2021 QG)     2021-Sep-09 05:35
(2010 RJ53)   2021-Sep-09 14:49
(2020 KR2)    2021-Sep-10 12:03
(2008 CD6)    2021-Sep-13 12:16


   

Tomorrow night might be a good time to attempt to track down this newly found rock from space. Looks like b4 midnight on September 2nd it will be well placed (high and south) and bright enough to be spotted in mid sized scopes. Great phase angle from twilight (2nd) until 4am on Sep 3. Looks to be tracking thru Equuleus into Aquarius at near 2'/min!

The orbit is somewhat uncertain as there are only 68 observations spanning just two days. Make sure to run the ephemeris from your location as it is passing ~665,000 Km (1.7LD). CNEOS indicates it may be 110m diameter.

I got a little carried away in testing the new iTelescope, T69, at Siding Spring. It's a simple color system, and I almost have it dialed in for SkyTools.

   

Hello everyone,

I was doing some testing with the newly available iTelescope T19, and got a deep image of C/2017 K2 (PANSTARRS). I thought I'd share it here. This is a stack of 3x10-minute images in the Lum filter.

   

Hi,

Need help with creating the Caldwell Object List and importing into Skyhound. I see the Messier Object List is included with the software download.

Thanks,

Dave

Hi All,

This is a weird object that I found using the DBPS after updating the MPC elements for NEAs at Today's Epoch today. It's very bright & now moving retrograde WRT earth at 0.03 AU. The mag is currently 10.8, but ST4v estimates it will brighten to 9.5 mag between Sep 3-10 as we overtake it. It's not moving very fast & its orbit is close to earth's.

Might be worth a look if anyone's interested. I'm surprised it didn't appear in previous DBPS searches. It's also not listed on the CNEOS page at JPL.

Good hunting,

Phil S.

I have ST4 Visual configured to audible say when the scope is slewing to a target, when the slew is complete, and when I have synced the scope to the cursor position.  But I cannot get the scope's position to show up with crosshairs on the IA chart like with ST3 PRO.  I would appreciate learning what I am missing in regards to the settings.

Yours truly,

Jack Huerkamp

We rock hounds are just not getting any breaks. I fooled around with 2016 AJ193. A fairly large rock, think high H and fair size (1.3Km +/- .4km) that has a somewhat close approach (~9LD) on 21 Aug ~11CDT. Yep daylight! Then big moon and below our horizon. Shucks again! But, because of its size and approach profile, the phase presents a good view and brighter prior to close approach. A possible shot may present itself just b4 Nautical twilight ~5CDT the 20th. It then climbs as twilight approaches. Work it out from your location as it may be bright enough (mid 12 to mid 13) to follow and the error box is <1minute. Speed ~1'/min moving NE out of Fornax into Eridanus. Here is my dope from front yard. Unfortunately for me, from my yard, will be looking into Willis, Conroe and Houston. Not sure it's worth the drive to dark skies on a non-observing weekend.