Late August 2012 NEOs Close Encounter May??? Spark Some Meteor Activity
Some new NEOs have just been discovered. Nothing very big coming nearby. With the night sky not being brightly lit by the Moon I expect that researchers will find even more for the end of this month and coming September 2012. Grab a lawnchair, blanket, bug spray and lay back and watch the show! As always a dark sky is best. Keep looking up!
-LunarMeteorite*Hunter - Tokyo, Japan
*Note: Mouse over the NEO Object Names to read more clearly; all are linked to more information from NASA and JPL so click at will!
Additional Update on 26AUG2012
Update (19AUG2012): Another NEO,
(2012 QV2), discovered:
| (2012 QV2) | 2012-Aug-26 | 0.0270 | 10.5 | 43 m - 96 m | 24.0 | 9.51 |
| UPCOMING CLOSE APPROACHES TO EARTH |
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers
1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers
Object
Name | Close
Approach
Date | CA
Distance*
(AU) | CA
Distance*
(LD) | Estimated
Diameter** | H
(mag) | Relative
Velocity
(km/s) |
| (2012 OP4) | 2012-Aug-18 | 0.1040 | 40.5 | 280 m - 620 m | 19.9 | 22.56 |
| (2008 TC4) | 2012-Aug-18 | 0.1937 | 75.4 | 140 m - 300 m | 21.5 | 17.34 |
| (2012 PD20) | 2012-Aug-18 | 0.0248 | 9.6 | 22 m - 50 m | 25.4 | 6.07 |
| (2012 PN6) | 2012-Aug-18 | 0.1455 | 56.6 | 93 m - 210 m | 22.3 | 16.04 |
| (2012 PY19) | 2012-Aug-18 | 0.0282 | 11.0 | 7.6 m - 17 m | 27.7 | 3.46 |
| (2006 CV) | 2012-Aug-20 | 0.1744 | 67.9 | 290 m - 640 m | 19.8 | 13.24 |
| (2008 QB) | 2012-Aug-20 | 0.0906 | 35.3 | 190 m - 420 m | 20.8 | 30.38 |
| (2012 EC) | 2012-Aug-20 | 0.0815 | 31.7 | 56 m - 130 m | 23.4 | 5.57 |
| 162421 (2000 ET70) | 2012-Aug-21 | 0.1503 | 58.5 | 670 m - 1.5 km | 18.0 | 12.92 |
| (2007 WU3) | 2012-Aug-21 | 0.1954 | 76.0 | 56 m - 120 m | 23.4 | 5.25 |
| (2012 BB14) | 2012-Aug-24 | 0.1234 | 48.0 | 27 m - 60 m | 25.0 | 2.58 |
| (2012 FM52) | 2012-Aug-25 | 0.0599 | 23.3 | 510 m - 1.1 km | 18.6 | 17.17 |
| (2012 PP24) | 2012-Aug-25 | 0.1514 | 58.9 | 100 m - 230 m | 22.1 | 4.75 |
| 66146 (1998 TU3) | 2012-Aug-25 | 0.1265 | 49.2 | 3.0 km - 6.8 km | 14.7 | 16.03 |
| (2009 AV) | 2012-Aug-26 | 0.1615 | 62.8 | 650 m - 1.5 km | 18.0 | 22.51 |
| 331769 (2003 BQ35) | 2012-Aug-28 | 0.1585 | 61.7 | 240 m - 530 m | 20.2 | 4.64 |
| (2010 SC) | 2012-Aug-28 | 0.1679 | 65.3 | 16 m - 36 m | 26.1 | 9.56 |
| 4769 Castalia | 2012-Aug-28 | 0.1135 | 44.2 | 1.4 km | 16.9 | 12.06 |
|
Just Passed NEOs Activity
| RECENT CLOSE APPROACHES TO EARTH |
1 AU = ~150 million kilometers
1 LD = Lunar Distance = ~384,000 kilometers
Object
Name | Close
Approach
Date | CA
Distance*
(AU) | CA
Distance*
(LD) | Estimated
Diameter** | H
(mag) | Relative
Velocity
(km/s) |
| (2012 PC20) | 2012-Aug-08 | 0.1831 | 71.3 | 140 m - 320 m | 21.3 | 7.60 |
| (2009 BW2) | 2012-Aug-09 | 0.0337 | 13.1 | 25 m - 56 m | 25.1 | 5.27 |
| 277475 (2005 WK4) | 2012-Aug-09 | 0.1283 | 49.9 | 270 m - 600 m | 20.0 | 6.18 |
| (2004 SC56) | 2012-Aug-09 | 0.0811 | 31.6 | 74 m - 170 m | 22.8 | 10.57 |
| 332446 (2008 AF4) | 2012-Aug-10 | 0.1936 | 75.3 | 310 m - 690 m | 19.7 | 16.05 |
| 37655 Illapa | 2012-Aug-12 | 0.0951 | 37.0 | 770 m - 1.7 km | 17.7 | 28.73 |
| (2012 PZ17) | 2012-Aug-12 | 0.0077 | 3.0 | 12 m - 26 m | 26.8 | 3.56 |
| (2012 HS15) | 2012-Aug-14 | 0.1804 | 70.2 | 200 m - 460 m | 20.6 | 11.54 |
| (2012 PH6) | 2012-Aug-16 | 0.1880 | 73.2 | 160 m - 370 m | 21.0 | 12.19 |
| 4581 Asclepius | 2012-Aug-16 | 0.1079 | 42.0 | 220 m - 490 m | 20.4 | 13.48 |
|
Source: NASA/JPL
http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/
2012 THE Year of Meteors!
