I find it rather amusing that they have to include this statement in the NASA blurb to re-assure all the neurotics and weirdos that it is safe.
'The gravitational influence of the asteroid is so small it will have no detectable effect on the moon or anything here on Earth, including our planet's tides or tectonic plates'
We'll probably be clouded out regardless but I'll see if I can find a plot for it and maybe hunt it down.
Generate an ephemeris for your location using the Minor Planet Ephemeris Service http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html
Note that it will be too far north at closest approach for viewing from Australia. It will be visible between midnight and morning on Oct 31, however it will be about mag 13 shading to mag 12.5. That will make it a tough visual target, especially as the Moon is only about 20 degrees away. I've observed NEOs visually at around mag 10-11 with an 8-inch telescope. Larger instruments will be necessary for this one. Video imaging with a large instrument might be the go.
I just read about it in The Guardian as well. The asteroid is nicknamed “the Great Pumpkin” and “Spooky” because it's closest approach on Halloween, Oct 31.
A scary thought..... it was discovered on Oct. 10th and if it was on a collision course for Earth, it turns that 3 weeks isn't long enough to have done anything about it.
Generate an ephemeris for your location using the Minor Planet Ephemeris Service http://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html
Note that it will be too far north at closest approach for viewing from Australia. It will be visible between midnight and morning on Oct 31, however it will be about mag 13 shading to mag 12.5. That will make it a tough visual target, especially as the Moon is only about 20 degrees away. I've observed NEOs visually at around mag 10-11 with an 8-inch telescope. Larger instruments will be necessary for this one. Video imaging with a large instrument might be the go.
I probably wouldn't be able to get a good shot of it, but do you think it is possible to get a shot at all, with a 127 refractor, DSLR and 30 sec exposures?
Too bad we can't see it at closest approach. Check out that apparent motion on 31 Oct. 15 arcsec/s. At that rate you could visually see it move. Literally see an asteroid fly past. How cool would that be.
With sensational headlines such as the “Doomsday Asteroid”, the local media was pushing the boundaries in exploiting the “drama” of the close approach of 2015 TB145.
From Brisbane the best opportunity to view this object straddled midnight on Fri/Sat 30th/31st October, a few hours before closest approach. The skies were cloudy as I set up and I was hoping that I might find a clear patch. Around 10:30pm a clearing appeared with the NEO at an altitude of approx. 30 degrees so I thought I’d run a dress rehearsal and grab some test frames before the main event scheduled after midnight.
This proved to be a lucky decision as after capturing 13 x 60 sec frames, the clouds swept in again and blanked the skies for the rest of the evening. Such is fate.
Thanks for the comments Mirko and Sil, I appreciate them.
I was a little rusty with the set up and operation, as the last NEO I managed to grab was 2014 SC324 back in Oct 2014, hence the (lucky) dress rehearsal shoot.
With sensational headlines such as the “Doomsday Asteroid”, the local media was pushing the boundaries in exploiting the “drama” of the close approach of 2015 TB145.
Dennis
Just came across your work on this Dennis. Well done. Seems that imaging these asteroids is still in the blood. Great work.
Too bad we can't see it at closest approach. Check out that apparent motion on 31 Oct. 15 arcsec/s. At that rate you could visually see it move. Literally see an asteroid fly past. How cool would that be.
Just came across your work on this Dennis. Well done. Seems that imaging these asteroids is still in the blood. Great work.
Thanks Jeff, it does seem like it’s in the DNA and when one of these rocks comes close, I feel compelled to set up the rig and capture the white dashes!
I add my thanks to Dennis for his efforts and for posting. I particularly enjoy the animation. As Mirko said; really cool to see it zipping by, thanks again. L
G day Suzy, and it is SPOOKY; NASA put up radar pictures showing dark patches that give it the appearance of a skull - for their halloween (spell check wants a H . . . AND; the next known large NEO close encounter is Asteroid 2004 MN4 at only 30,000 km on 13/4/2029 . . that's Friday 13th !!! w w o o o o o h
I add my thanks to Dennis for his efforts and for posting. I particularly enjoy the animation. As Mirko said; really cool to see it zipping by, thanks again. L
>snip
No worries Lindon, I’m pleased that you enjoyed the animation and in the light of the 100% cloud cover that followed, I was delighted to have come away with 13 frames that were essentially part of an equipment shake down after a few months off.
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. . . AND; the next known large NEO close encounter is Asteroid 2004 MN4 at only 30,000 km on 13/4/2029 . . that's Friday 13th !!! w w o o o o o h
