New Comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF) [may reach mag. +6 in Feb. 2023]

CBET 5111 & MPEC 2022-F13, issued on 2022, March 21, announce the discovery of an apparently asteroidal object (magnitude ~17) discovered on CCD images taken on Mar. 2 UT with a  1.2-m f/2.4 Schmidt telescope at Palomar in the course of the  "Zwicky Transient Facility" (ZTF) survey (MPC code I41). Subsequently, it has been found to show cometary appearance by CCD astrometrists elsewhere. The new comet has been designated C/2022 E3 (ZTF).

Stacking of 12 unfiltered exposures, 120 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2022, March 20.4 from X02 (Telescope Live, Chile) through a 0.61-m f/6.5 astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a compact coma about 9" arcsecond in diameter (Observers E. Guido, M. Rocchetto, E. Bryssinck, G. Milani, G. Savini, A. Valvasori).


Our confirmation image (click on the images for a bigger version; made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott)

 
 

MPEC 2022-F13 assigns the following orbital elements to comet C/2022 E3 (ZTF): T 2023 Jan. 13.18; e= 0.99; Peri. =  145.77; q = 1.11 ;  Incl.= 109.09

Credit: MPC

 

According to CBET 5111: "These preliminary elements indicate that the comet will pass 0.28 AU from the earth in early Feb. 2023, when the comet may be near total visual magnitude 6; these also suggest that the comet passed about 1.18 AU from Saturn in 2020 May and about 3.07 AU from Jupiter in 2021 April." Below you can see a graph generated using the software Orbitas and showing the predicted magnitude (in red) versus its elongation from the Sun. As always with comets, the future magnitudes reported here are only indicative.
 

by Ernesto Guido

New Comet C/2022 E2 (ATLAS)

CBET 5109 & MPEC 2022-E227, issued on 2022, March 15, announce the discovery of an apparently asteroidal object (magnitude ~19) discovered on CCD images taken on Mar. 7 UT with a 0.5-m f/2 Schmidt reflector at Rio Hurtado, Chile, in the course of the "Asteroid Terrestrial-Impact Last Alert System" (ATLAS) search program. Subsequently, it has been found to show cometary appearance by CCD astrometrists elsewhere after it was posted on the Minor Planet Center's PCCP webpage. The new comet has been designated C/2022 E2 (ATLAS).

Stacking of 25 unfiltered exposures, 120 seconds each, obtained remotely on 2022, March 10.3 from X02 (Telescope Live, Chile) through a 0.61-m f/6.5 astrograph + CCD, shows that this object is a comet with a compact coma about 7" arcsecond in diameter (Observers E. Guido, M. Rocchetto, E. Bryssinck, G. Milani, G. Savini, A. Valvasori).


Our confirmation image (click on the images for a bigger version; made with TYCHO software by D. Parrott)

 

MPEC 2022-E227 assigns the following orbital elements to comet C/2022 E2 (ATLAS): T 2024 Sep. 16.95; e= 0.99; Peri. =  41.84; q = 3.67 ;  Incl.= 137.13

Credit: MPC

This comet could reach total magnitude ~13 in late 2024.  Below you can see a graph generated using the software Orbitas and showing the predicted magnitude (in red) versus its elongation from the Sun. As always with comets, the future magnitudes reported here are only indicative.

 

by Ernesto Guido

Small Asteroid 2022 EB5 (NEOCP Sar2593) impacted Earth on March 11

On 2022 March 11.80, K. Sarneczky found a small asteroid using the 0.60-m Schmidt + CCD of GINOP-KHK, Piszkesteto (K88 MPC code) that was soon after put on the NEOCP list with the provisional designation Sar2593 for the follow-up by other observers. The Minor Planet Center subsequently assigned the following official designation to this object 2022 EB5.

Discovery images (19:25UT) of asteroid 2022 EB5

Credit: K. Sarneczky 

At 20:46UT of March 11, Bill Gray sent an alert in the MPML mailing list about the impact of Sar2593 with the Earth's atmosphere and: "to urge European observers to take a look for this object, currently on NEOCP.  It should come in at 21:23 UTC at latitude +70.47, longitude W 10.40,  plus or minus a few dozen km.  That's about forty minutes from "right now",  a bit north of Iceland". Below you can see a map of the impact location as calculated by Gray, southwest of Jan Mayen island.

Credit: B. Gray

Below an animation showing the impact trajectory 

Credit: T. Dunn

Below a follow-up image obtained by P. Bacci & M. Maestripieri at the San Marcello Pistoiese Observatory (104 MPC code) just about 15 minutes before its impact. 

Credit: Gamp/UAI

2022 EB5 is a small Apollo asteroid with an estimated size of 1.0 m - 2.3 m (based on the object's absolute magnitude H=32.1). 2022 EB5 impact infrasound  detection in Greenland had been published by P. Brown: "From this data yield is approximately 2-3 kT TNT. At 15 km/s, this is roughly 3-4 m diameter".

Credit: P. Brown

This is the fifth time in history that an impacting object is observed prior to atmospheric entry. The first time it happened was with asteroid 2008 TC3, the second was with asteroid 2014 AA, the third was 2018 LA that impacted Earth on 02 June 2018, the fourth was with asteroid 2019 MO that impacted Earth on 22 June 2019. Another space impacting object discovered prior to its to atmospheric entry was WT1190F but it is thought to have been a space debris, possibly  the translunar injection module of Lunar Prospector. For more info about 2008 TC3, 2014 AA, 2018 LA and 2019 MO see also:

http://remanzacco.blogspot.it/2008/10/small-asteroid-2008-tc3-to-hit-earth.html

http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2008/10/2008-tc3-animation.html

http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2008/10/2008-tc3-update-impact-flash-imaged.html

http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2008/11/2008-tc3-trail-imaged-over-northern.html

http://remanzacco.blogspot.it/2009/02/2008-tc3-fragments-recovered.html

http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2014/01/small-asteroid-2014-aa-hit-earths_2.html

https://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2018/06/small-asteroid-2018-la-impacted-earth.html

https://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2019/06/small-asteroid-neocp-a10eom1-impacted.html

http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/search/label/asteroid%20impact

By Ernesto Guido