[AZ-Observing] Last chance to view J002E3
- From: Brian Skiff <Brian.Skiff@xxxxxxxxxx>
- To: az-observing@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Tue, 13 May 2003 19:41:12 -0700 (MST)
This post to the minor-planet mailing list about the large piece of
space junk called J002E3 may be of interest to visual, video, and CCD
observers. This object's upcoming very close passage to the Moon will throw
it out of the Earth-Moon system for some decades to come.
\Brian
===============================================================================
To: mpml@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
From: Bill J Gray <pluto@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 13 May 2003 15:57:00 -0500
Subject: {MPML} J002E3
A quick follow-up to Steve's post: you can get topocentric
ephemerides for J002E3 from either JPL's Horizons or from MPC's
Earth Orbiting Space Junk Tracking Page:
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/cgi-bin/eph
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/SpaceJunk/SpaceJunk.html
You can get a geocentric ephemeris, plus some (I hope)
interesting comments, from the "pseudo-MPEC" I've posted at
http://www.projectpluto.com/j002e3.htm
You'll see that it gets to mag 13.5 (roughly!) on 20 May, as
it passes through opposition and perigee. I know some people have
expressed an interest in tracking this object visually; this will
be both your best chance to do so at this apparition, and your
last chance to get a visual sighting of an "in-flight" piece of
Apollo hardware for a few decades.
A minor note: be aware that J002E3 will be eclipsed by the
Earth on 20 May, between about 7:30 to 8:30 UT. If you look for
it and don't find it then, there's a good reason for it!
-- Bill
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