asteroid 2011 MD close approach tonight

[rider]

Cant find a thread on this, but its supposed to be close enough to view tonight (12000km from earth) - anybody got coordinates?

[robz]

Just look upwards............when it gets dark :lol:

[rally]

Rider,

The latest Orbital elements and ephemerides are here

http://scully.cfa.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/returnprepeph.cgi?d=n&o=K11M00D

I think it will be relatively fast !
I'll enter it in this evening when I get chance and have a look, but maybe some of our other esteemed NEO observers can do that and let us all know where to look !

Cheers

Rally

[mental4astro]

There is, in the Celestial & Astronomical Events forum:

http://www.iceinspace.com.au/forum/showthread.php?t=77318

[rider]

Thanks for your help people. - always the best place to come for info.

(I plugged in the coordinates and found that it'll be exactly behind the neighbors biggest bushiest tree. - so...its either get out the chain saw or stay in bed.)

BTW, just noticed that this thread ended up in equipment discussions....oops

[glenc]

Here is an animation.
http://orbit.psi.edu/~tricaric/2011MD.html

Did anyone get an image?

[jjjnettie]

I watched it live via Gianluca Masi and his Virtual Telescope, PW 17". Gee that asteroid just whizzed past us.
Had a great time chatting with other astro geeks from around the world , at the same time.
Gianluca made an animation of the event.
https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=2229655426565

[RobF]

Thanks for pointing that out JJJ...

[SkyViking]

Thanks for the link, that's a great animation. Surely looks like a speeding bullet!

[jjjnettie]

The tracking was awesome, he sure can make that mount sing. :D

[RobF]

I can't believe how much its orbit was deflected. Not to mention just how close it came to have come inside the GPS network :eyepop:

[firstlight]

Thanks for posting the link Jeanette, but I guess I'll never see it as it is on facebook or something.

Cheers
Tony