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It helps that 1994 PC 1 is not only large but also a good reflector of light with an albedo of 0.28 (reflecting 28% of the light it receives from the Sun). But at magnitude 10–10.5 and with the Moon in the opposite part of the sky, it should still be accessible in a 4-inch telescope.
CLEA ASTROMETRY OF ASTEROIDS FULL
Click here for a large map.īe aware that the Moon will be just past full and shines brightly in Cancer at the same time that the asteroid is best visible. Be aware that the precise path of the asteroid will vary a small amount depending upon your viewing location, so keep your eyes open for a moving object on or near the plotted path. This map covers January 19th UT (January 18th for the Americas), when 1994 PC 1 will be well-placed for observing as soon as it gets dark.
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Watch for it to pass 1.5° northeast of the 9th-magnitude planetary NGC 1360 in Fornax around 7–7:30 p.m. Three nights later on January 17th, it brightens to magnitude 10.3 and becomes more conveniently placed for northern observers, heading northwest at about 1.5° per hour from Fornax into Eridanus.
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EST, our whiz kid is already at magnitude 12.2 and located in the southern constellation Pictor about 8° northwest of Canopus. Fortunately, impacts of this size occur only about once every 500,000 years, leaving enough time (we hope) to find a way to deflect the inevitable, future PHA that has Earth in its crosshairs. The shockwave, fireball, falling debris and powerful tsunamis (assuming an oceanic strike) would create widespread regional havoc and devastation. Were it to impact our planet, it would excavate a crater about 20 kilometers (12.4 miles) across. Based on its spectral type, it's a typical S-class or stony asteroid with a silicate composition. It means we're finding more asteroids all the time, reducing the odds of one coming from out of nowhere to strike our planet.Īsteroid 1994 PC 1 measures 1.1 kilometers across. The sharp slope of the curve is good news. Of those, about 2,000 fit the definition of potentially hazardous objects, which could possibly collide with Earth in the future. You get a taste of what cosmic velocity really means.Īs of January 11, 2022, astronomers have identified 27,948 near-Earth asteroids. That's what makes observing Earth-approaching asteroids such a treat. We're so used to celestial objects moving slowly or not at all. Once you lock on, you're in the astronomical fast lane, cruising across star fields, making and breaking asterisms with abandon. Watching a fast-moving asteroid is a total blast. But this time around, the space rock comfortably misses Earth and instead puts on a safe show for small telescope users. An artist's concept shows an extreme perspective of the scene.Īsteroid (7482) 1994 PC 1 is big and potentially hazardous, meaning that its orbit intersects Earth's. As seen from the asteroid at that time, the Earth's apparent size will be 23 arcminutes or about two-thirds the apparent size of the Moon. Asteroid (7482) 1994 PC 1 is considerably larger and brighter and will be making a close approach on January 18th. Asteroids routinely pass near Earth, but most range from several to a few dozen meters across and appear faint.