CLOSE-APPROACHING ASTEROID...

CLOSE-APPROACHING ASTEROID: A small (4-5 meter) asteroid discovered earlier today by R. A. Kowalski of the Catalina Sky Survey will pass by Earth on Feb. 4th around 19:40UT at a distance of 11855 km. 2011 CQ1 will not hit Earth, but it will pass well inside the Clarke Belt of geosynchronous satellites. [more]

Friday, February 4, 2011

2011 CQ1 - Very Close Approach

The newly discovered object, officially designated 2011 CQ1, will make a close Earth approach today February 04, 2011 around 19:40UT at ~0.03(LD)/0.00008(AU) or 11855 km.

2011 CQ1 has been discovered by R. A. Kowalski few hours ago in the course of the "Catalina Sky Survey" with a 0.68-m Schmidt + CCD. The object was moving at roughly 6 "/min and it was of magnitude ~19. According to its absolute magnitude H=32 this is a very small object, in the order of 2-3 meters.

Just few hours after his discovery, we have been able to follow-up this object using remotely a 0.35-m f/3.8 reflector + CCD of "Tzec Maun Observatory" in New Mexico. At the moment of our images (on February 04.46), "2011 CQ1" was moving at 23"/min and its magnitude was ~18.

According to Bill Gray (Findorb developer): "That perigee value is solid to within a few kilometers. So no chance of an impact, but still _very_ close!!"

The orbital element published here, are very interesting:

2011 CQ1
Perigee 2011 Feb 4.818749 TT = 19:38:59 (JD 2455597.318749)
Epoch 2011 Feb 4.8 TT = JDT 2455597.3 Find_Orb
q 11855.6869km (2000.0) P Q
H 32.1 G 0.15 Peri. 156.15870 -0.32177738 -0.84067340
Node 92.60696 -0.92360962 0.17747398
e 1.7936521 Incl. 25.85075 -0.20833766 0.51163581
From 11 observations 2011 Feb. 4 (6.3 hr); mean residual 0".362.

As shown by the ephemeris, 2011 CQ1 will be visible for a few hours. It would be really interesting to follow-up this object in the next few hours, during its very close approach when it will reach the magnitude 14!

UPDATE - February 04, 2011 - 19:35UT

On mpml mailing list, Andrew Lowe pointed out that "that 2011 CQ1 will transit the sun shortly after its close approach. Based on astrometry up to MPEC 2011-C14, its "centre line" will start to cross the earth at Feb. 4.831 UT around N11 E160, with mid-transit at Feb 4.844 (S24 W125; south Pacific) and ending at Feb 04.858 (S29 W30)"

Andrew has supplied three coordinates on the centerline:

First contact: Feb 4.831 UT 11N, 160E (west of the Marshall Islands,
near Enewetak)

Mid-transit: Feb 4.844 UT 24S, 125W (French Polynesia, east of
Pitcairn Island)

Final contact: Feb 4.858 UT 29S, 30W (south Atlantic, off the coast
of Brazil)

Following this suggestion, Bill Gray calculated a transit line plot showing the path over South America. You can see the charts here:

http://www.projectpluto.com/cq1.png

http://www.projectpluto.com/cq1a.png


By Giovanni Sostero & Ernesto Guido

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Good Clear Skies
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Astrocomet
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Colin James Watling
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Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/astrocomera
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Lyra Website: https://sites.google.com/site/lyrasociety/

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Real Astronomer and head of the Comet section for LYRA (Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth Regional Astronomers) also head of K.A.G (Kessingland Astronomy Group) and Navigator (Astrogator) of the Stars (Fieldwork)
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Information: http://www.clubbz.com/club/2895/LOWESTOFT---3054/Lowestoft%20And%20Great%20Yarmouth%20Regional%20Astronomers%20(Lyra