Solar System - Asteroids (Minor Planets)
Lost and found: 1937 UB (Hermes)
Magnitude ?
23 Oct 2003, 21:48 UT - C8 @ f/6.3 - SXV-H9 - 12 x 60 sec
This is (or more correctly was) the most famous lost asteroid. In October 1937 this object passed very close to the Earth, just a little further away than the Moon. It was observed for 4 days and then never seen again. That is, until October 2003, where a newly discovered asteroid was identified as Hermes. The object is a near Earth object and thus a potential hazard although no close encounters have been calculated for the near future. Radar observations have shown Hermes to be two objects in close orbit.
The animation below shows the movement of Hermes between 21:45 and 21:54 UT (Javascript required!)
Near Earth Object 2002 NY40 in Sagitta
Magnitude 9
17 Aug 2002 at 20:42 - 20:46UT - C8 at f/6,3 - MX516 - 20 x 1 sec
This asteroid hit the media as it was possible the most spectacular approach to Earth of an asteroid in 50 years. It approached the Earth to within 1,5 times the distance to the Moon and due to its size (800 m) it was visible in nearly any telescope - if you could find it. NY40 raced through the sky with the incredible speed of 8° per hour when it was closest. It was also quite a job to keep the asteroid within the CCD field although the speed at that time was a more "modest" 3°/hour. The image shows the movement during 4 minutes, each dot separated by about 12 seconds equal to the readout time of the CCD camera. More images: Aug 16 at 22:02UT; Aug 17 at 20:31UT; Aug 17 at 21:15UT
Near Earth Object 1998 WT24 near M34 in Perseus
Magnitude 10
16 Dec 2001, 19:15-20:07UT - 135 mm lens at f/4 - MX516 - 43 x 30 sec
This unusually bright and close Near Earth Object passed less than five lunar distances
from the Earth on December 15, 2001. There was no risk of a collision on this occasion
but the object will be closely monitored in the future since a collision with a kilometer-sized object
like this one would cause a world wide disaster
The asteroid raced past the open cluster M34 in Perseus with a speed of nearly one degree per hour.
During the 52 minutes of exposures the asteroid moved 50' across the sky towards the right.
Each dash represents four 30 sec exposures while three exposures were left out between each dash.
134340 Pluto in Ophiuchus - 16 July 2001
Magnitude 13,8
16 July 2001 at 22:30UT - C8-DX at f/6.3 - MX516 - 5 min (10 x 30 sec)
Well, Pluto is no longer a planet! On 24 August 2006 the IAU redefined the term "planet" and Pluto unfortunately doesn't fit this new definition. Sorry Pluto, you are now a dwarf planet!