asteroid identification needed

[Alchemy (Clive)]

im hoping someone here can answer my question, whilst imaging i came across this (i asume its an asteroid) tracking accross the image. and given its a solar system object im hoping someone here will help

the co-ordinates and times are approx as follows,

26/5/09 21.00 to 22.30 EST 16h 28m 06s /-24 deg 23' 41''
and
28/5/09 21.45 to 22.25 EST 16h 26m 11s /-24 deg 07' 15''

it moved left to right of the image.

for future reference how if you found out what it was ..... how did you do it ?

thanks clive

[astroron (Ron)]

Of Topic, have you noticed that your image has what could be described as a Ghostly Face

[thunderchildobs]

try here

http://scully.harvard.edu/~cgi/CheckSN

[PeterM]

Hi Clive,
Using http://scully.cfa.harvard.edu/~cgi/CheckMP around that time I come up with a probability that it is minor planet 5650 Mochihito-o. On the 26/5/09 within 15 arc mins of the position you reported at mag 14.9 and again on the 28/6/09 mag 14.8. I will just run it through The Sky 6 to recheck.
PeterM.

[PeterM]

Hi again Clive,
Just double checked with The Sky 6 and it is 5650 Mochihito-o.
If you are running any of the good planetarium programmes like The Sky etc you can download the current minor planet database of around 330,000 known minor planets and just reset the date and the time in your planetarium programme - if it is known then you will have it, if it is not then you have further investigation to do. This link will help (the download is a compressed 26meg file or unzipped about 73 meg).
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/MPCORB.html
I see Brendan has sent the Minor planet checker, you can use that or my link. Just do a search based on the time of your observation converted to decimal time. I.e. your first date 26th May at 9pm would be written in the checker as 2009 05 26.45 - where 26th is the day and the .45 comes from 2100hrs converted to UT = 1100hrs UT divided by 24 = .45
Put in the RA & DEC and do a search around the area - I did a 15 arc min search.
Hope this makes sense, by the way nice image!
PeterM.

[Alchemy (Clive)]

thanks for the help guys. i will use the link provided in the future, thats a beauty to know.
ive got a couple of programs, one of which i think has a minor planet plug in, i know it has a comet plug in but i think they changed the soft00 text and added a few letters to the end the file is now like this
0006P 2008 08 14.9662 1.353724 0.612767 178.1336 138.9339 19.5151 20090618 7.5 16.0 6P/d'Arrest MPC 62880
and it didnt work like it used too, i have to edit it before putting it in.... remove the MPC 62880 and i think it works so if the minor planet is the same it would take too long. ive not chased comets for a while, any bright ones pop up here in this section, sort of a notification that the games afoot.

i have saved the whole page of this thread and will tinker with the dial up link in the future.

so Peter M and thunder, thankyou very much for taking the time to explain.... most appreciated

ron.... i will have a look and see

thanks clive.

[PeterM]

Hi Clive,
Here is some interesting information about minor planet 5650
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi
Just type in 5650 in search and then press enter.

PeterM.

[Alchemy (Clive)]

wow youre a fountain of information

5650 Mochihito-o Discovered 1990 Dec. 10 by A. Natori and T. Urata at the JCPM Yakiimo Station.Prince Mochihito-o (1151-1180) was the third son of emperor Goshirakawa. He was a fount of knowledge, known for his poetry and for playing the Japanese flute. With Minamoto Yorimasa, he fought against the Heike without success.

There is a plethora of other info there on its orbit etc, clearly not a new discovery .... mind you if ifound it 20 years ago !!!

thanks again Peter.