PHA Asteroid 2014 KP4

The MPEC 2014-K35 issued on May 23, 2014 announced the discovery of a new PHA asteroid officially designated 2014 KP4. This asteroid (~ magnitude 16) was discovered by C. Jacques, E. Pimentel & J. Barros through a 0.20-m f/2.2 Schmidt-Cassegrain + CCD telescope of SONEAR Observatory (MPC code Y00), on images obtained on May 20.2, 2014.

According to the preliminay orbit, 2014 KP4 is an Apollo type asteroid. This class of asteroids are defined by having semi-major axes greater than that of the Earth (> 1 AU) but perihelion distances less than the Earth's aphelion distance (q < 1.017 AU). It is also flagged as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid". PHA are asteroids larger than approximately 100m that might have threatening close approaches to the Earth (they can come closer to Earth than 0.05 AU).

2014 KP4 had a close approach with Earth on May 11, 2014 at rougly 26.2 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.0673 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers).

We performed some follow-up measurements of this object on 2014, May 20.6, remotely from the Q62 iTelescope network (Siding Spring) through a 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + focal reducer. Below you can see an animation showing the fast movement (the object was moving at 6.5 "/min) of 2014 KP4 on the the sky on May 20, 2014. Each frame is a single 15-second exposure. Click on the thumbnail below to see the animation (East is up, North is to the right):

Below you can see the discovery images of 2014 KP4 by SONEAR survey. 

Credit: SONEAR Observatory

by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes & Martino Nicolini

New Comet: C/2014 J1 (CATALINA)

Cbet nr. 3868, issued on 2014, May 16, announces the discovery of an apparently asteroidal object (~ magnitude 18.2) on CCD images taken on 2014, May 09.3 by R. J. Sanders with the Catalina Sky Survey's 0.68-m Schmidt telescope. This object has been found to show cometary appearance by observers elsewhere. The new comet has been designated C/2014 J1 (CATALINA).

We performed follow-up measurements of this object, while it was still on the neocp. Stacking of 50 unfiltered exposures, 15-sec each, obtained remotely on 2014, May 16.4 from Q62 (iTelescope network, Siding Spring) through a 0.70-m f/6.6 CDK astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is slightly diffused. The FWHM of this object was measured about 20% wider than that of nearby field stars of similar brightness (at the moment of our imaging session the Moon - 0.98 phase - was just about 40 degree away from the comet).

Our confirmation image (click on it for a bigger version)

M.P.E.C. 2014-K04 assigns the following parabolic orbital elements to comet C/2014 J1: T 2014 June 13.44; e= 1.0; Peri. = 191.98; q = 1.74;  Incl.= 160.18

by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes & Martino Nicolini

Close Approach of Asteroid 2014 JR24

The asteroid 2014 JR24 was discovered (at magnitude ~17.2) on 2014, May 06.3 by Catalina Sky Survey (MPC code 703) with a 0.68-m Schmidt + CCD. 

2014 JR24 has an estimated size of 3.7 m - 8.2 m (based on the object's absolute magnitude H=29.3) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 0.3 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.0007 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 1045 UT on 2014, May 07. This asteroid reached the peak magnitude ~15.6 on May 07, 2014.

We performed some follow-up measurements of this object on 2014, May 07.3, remotely from the H06 iTelescope network (New Mexico) through a 0.43-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD. Below you can see our image taken with the asteroid at magnitude ~15.7 and moving at ~466.77 "/min. At the moment of its close approach at 1045 UT, 2014 JR24 was moving at ~526 "/min. Click on the image below to see a bigger version. North is up, East is to the left (the asteroid is trailed in the image due to its fast speed).

Below you can see a short animation showing the movement of 2014 JR24 (two consecutive 60-second exposure). Click on the thumbnail for a bigger version:

by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes & Martino Nicolini

Close Approach of Asteroid 2014 HO132

The asteroid 2014 HO132 was discovered (at magnitude ~19.6) on 2014, April 28.4 by F51 Pan-STARRS 1, Haleakala survey.

2014 HO132 has an estimated size of 19 m - 42 m (based on the object's absolute magnitude H=25.7) and it had a close approach with Earth at about 2.1 LD (Lunar Distances = ~384,000 kilometers) or 0.0055 AU (1 AU = ~150 million kilometers) at 0810 UT on 2014, May 05. This asteroid reached the peak magnitude ~15.6 on May 04, 2014.

We performed some follow-up measurements of this object on 2014, May 05.5, remotely from the Q62 iTelescope network (Siding Spring) through a 0.50-m f/6.8 astrograph + CCD + f/4.5 focal reducer.

Below you can see our image taken with the asteroid at magnitude ~16.4 and moving at ~135.47 "/min. At the moment of its close approach at 0810 UT, 2014 HO132 was moving at ~141 "/min. Click on the image below to see a bigger version. North is up, East is to the left (the asteroid is trailed in the image due to its fast speed).

Below you can see a short animation showing the movement of 2014 HO132 (three consecutive 90-second exposure). Click on the thumbnail for a bigger version:

UPDATE - May 08, 2014

Asteroid 2014 HO132 was observed on May 03, 2014 by radar at Goldstone. Below you can find the radar images, sums of fifteen consecutive runs at a resolution of 3.75 m x 0.11 Hz resolution (click on it for a bigger version).

Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/GSSR

by Ernesto Guido, Nick Howes & Martino Nicolini