Asteroid 2007 Tu24 Getting Closer

[cat2only]

Yesterday it had the asteroid @.0045 AU 1-29-08 @1200 NOON. Today it is @.0038 AU 1-29-08 @ 1200 NOON. Why the big change? :shrug:


http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2007%20TU24;orb=1

[blobrana]

Hum,
i don't know,
but i would guess that someone updated the ephemeris, as new observations refined the orbit data.

[blobrana]

For those who dont know, on Jan. 29, 2008, the 405m-wide asteroid, 2007 TU24, will make a close flyby (384401 km, 1.4 lunar distances) of the Earth. The asteroid will appear as a magnitude 10.4 star in the constellation Cassiopeia.

[cat2only]

Hum,
i don't know,
but i would guess that someone updated the ephemeris, as new observations refined the orbit data.

I hope this is not a daily trend.:shrug:

[blobrana]

Hum,
Well it`s big, and it will be bright.
But for most people its boring unless its on a collision course with earth.
So probably not.

[cat2only]

Moid is now .00096 or 92,000 miles from Earth much closer than 1.4 LU.

[cat2only]

http://www.lpl.arizona.edu/css/css_sss_newdisc.html

PHAsDesig. EMoid q Q H M Peri. Node Incl. e a Opps.
2007 TU24 0.00096 0.947 3.059 20.1 334.7 333.7 127.0 5.8 0.527 2.003 ( 8d) E2007-U25

[blobrana]

tnx for update

[cat2only]

New numbers coming in daily now! Goldstone is scared now!

Goldstone Asteroid Schedule

Upcoming Goldstone Observations
Last update: 2008 January 15

Needs
Needs Physical
Target Astrometry? Observations?
2008 Jan 23 2007 TU24 Yes Yes Scheduled. Extremely strong target. Also scheduled at Arecibo.

http://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/goldstone_asteroid_schedule.html

[cat2only]

2007 TU24 Planning



Background
Instructions

Goldstone Masterlog



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Background
2007 TU24 was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey (Arizona) on October 11, 2007.
This object's 1.4-lunar-distance approach on Jan. 29 is the closest for any
known Potentially Hazardous Asteroid until 2027. At this writing, the
object's orbit is too uncertain to identify post-2008 close Earth
approaches, but radar astrometry probably may allow prediction of any
close approaches centuries into the future.

Apart from its absolute visual magnitude (H = 20.1, implying a
diameter ~0.3 km if it has a typical S-class albedo), nothing is known
about TU24's physical properties, but the expected echo
signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) almost certainly will suffice for
high-resolution using Arecibo or Goldstone.

Goldstone observations are scheduled on January 23 and Arecibo observations are
scheduled on January 27-28 and February 1-4. Note that Goldstone observations straddle
the January 23-24 date boundary;

This object will brighten to about 11th magnitude in late January
when it will be a target for photometric and spectroscopic observations.

Orbital and Physical Characteristics
orbit type Apollo
semimajor axis 2.010 AU
eccentricity 0.529
inclination 5.8°
perihelion distance 0.947 AU
aphelion distance 3.073 AU
absolute magnitude (H) 20.1
diameter 300 meters +- a factor of two
rotation period unknown
pole direction unknown
lightcurve amplitude unknown
spectral class unknown

Last update: 2008 January 15

[blobrana]

Asteroid 2007 TU24, discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey on October 11, 2007 will closely approach the Earth to within 1.4 lunar distances (334,000 miles) on 2008 Jan. 29 08:33 UT. This object, between 150 and 600 meters in diameter, will reach an approximate apparent magnitude 10.3 on Jan. 29-30 before quickly becoming fainter as it moves further from Earth. For a brief time the asteroid will be observable in dark and clear skies with amateur telescopes of 3 inch apertures or larger.

See more (http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news157.html)

[blobrana]

CHART (http://img148.imageshack.us/img148/2319/asteroid2007tu24zw8.gif) (89kb, 800 x 447)

Asteroid 2007 TU24.kmz
Google Sky file (http://rapidshare.com/files/86022219/Asteroid__2007_TU24_.kmz.html) (4kb, kmz)

[Enmos]

For those who dont know, on Jan. 29, 2008, the 405m-wide asteroid, 2007 TU24, will make a close flyby (384401 km, 1.4 lunar distances) of the Earth. The asteroid will appear as a magnitude 10.4 star in the constellation Cassiopeia.

1.4 lunar distances ?
Any chance it can still deflect our way ?

[blobrana]

Practically, no.

[Enmos]

Practically, no.

Aww... :(
I have to stop getting my hopes up every time.

[blobrana]

There is a nice chart on this site...

The asteroid, believed to be between 150 meters (500 feet) and 610 meters (2,000 feet) in size, is expected to fly past Earth on Jan. 29, with its closest distance being about 537,500 kilometers (334,000 miles) at 12:33 a.m. Pacific time (3:33 a.m. Eastern time). It should be observable that night by amateur astronomers with modest sized telescopes.

Read more (http://www.nasa.gov/topics/solarsystem/features/asteroid20080124.html)

[Xelios]

I'm sure there will be pictures of this on www.spaceweather.com afterward, if anyone's interested.

[blobrana]

Scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have obtained the first images of asteroid 2007 TU24 using high-resolution radar data. The data indicate the asteroid is somewhat asymmetrical in shape, with a diameter roughly 250 metres in size.

Source (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.cfm?release=2008-014)

IMAGE (http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/images/asteroid/20080125/tu24-20080125.jpg) (83kb, 584 x 278)

Low-resolution radar images of asteroid 2007 TU24 that were taken over a few hours by the Goldstone Solar System Radar Telescope.
Credit NASA/JPL-Caltech