MP 2022 BB

[PMSchu]

The MP 2022 BB has a predicted close approach on the evening of 2022 Jan 25 for North America & the morning of Jan 26 for Europe. The predicted peak brightness is 16.4 magnitude ~1800EST - twilight. Here is the predicted path as seen from the Houston, TX area: [attachment=2231]

The sky will still be too bright to observe at maximum brightness from Houston, unfortunately. Farther east the sky will be darker. At least we get a few days warning for this one & it's moving fairly fast. Today I downloaded the MPC's NEAs at Today's Epoch & MPCORB (in that order - probably should have reversed it). Back over 10^6  MPs in the database.

Good hunting,

Phil S.

[bigmasterdrago]

It will be interesting to see if we get a few more days of observations by the big guys.

Looks as if Steward Observatory, Mt. Lemmon Station will get 3 more cracks at it during dark hours (04UT Jan 23 [now], 24, & 25) after the end of Astronomical Twilight. Might strengthen the uncertainty a bit.

[PMSchu]

CNEOS had the close approach time as +-18 min, condition code 7.

Phil S.

[bigmasterdrago]

Just saw this on Spaceweather.com

SUPER-FAST ROTATING ASTEROID: On asteroid 2022 AB, one day is only 3 minutes long. Amateur astronomer Filipp Romanov proved it on Jan. 20th when the asteroid flew past Earth almost 10 million km away. "I monitored the flyby using a 14-inch telescope in Canada," he says. "And I measured the asteroid's light curve." Here it is:

https://spaceweathergallery.com/indiv_up..._id=181767

"The spin period is only 182 seconds," says Romanov.

Believe it or not, this is not the fastest-known spinning asteroid. It's not even in the top 10. Astronomers have discovered 97 space rocks with shorter days than 2022 AB. The fastest is 2017 QG18 with a spin period of only 24 seconds.

How can asteroids spin so fast? Small asteroids like 2017 QG18 (width=10 meters) and 2022 AB (width=70 meters) get their angular momentum from collisions. Glancing blows from other asteroids spin them up, creating asteroid "days" of incredible brevity. Larger asteroids spin more slowly.

[theskyhound]

Wow! That's cool.

[bigmasterdrago]

interesting. As I have it as 4 million kilometers when high on the 20th. I have it 10 million kilometers away on Jan. 10th. And 861,829Km on close approach to Mt Lemmon Jan 26.786167386.