http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24857869
...about an asteroid, Asteroid P/2013 P5, that may be in the process of breaking up!
Asteroids and comets, and dust clouds, oh my!
Mark
'Six-Tailed' Asteroid - an interesting read
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trynda1701
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- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:48 pm
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'Six-Tailed' Asteroid - an interesting read
Found this link to a report on BBC News pages on the Stargazers Lounge forum...
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24857869
...about an asteroid, Asteroid P/2013 P5, that may be in the process of breaking up!
Asteroids and comets, and dust clouds, oh my!
Mark
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-24857869
...about an asteroid, Asteroid P/2013 P5, that may be in the process of breaking up!
Asteroids and comets, and dust clouds, oh my!
Mark
Scopes: Celestron C8 Classic (Black-1990), Skywatcher Heritage 130P Flexitube (2014).
EPs: Plossls - 24mm, 16mm ES Maxvision 68°; 18mm, 12mm, 8mm BST Explorer 60°; Kellners - 25mm Celestron; 40mm & 9mm Japanese; MA - 25mm & 10mm Skywatcher; Skywatcher 2x Barlow.
Binos: Helios Apollo 15x70. CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W, Manfrotto 679B Monopod/DynaSun WT011H 3/8 TriggerGrip Ballhead, Vanguard PhotoTripod (T-120223AB). Olympus 8x40 DPS I. Halina Discovery 8x30 [x2].
EPs: Plossls - 24mm, 16mm ES Maxvision 68°; 18mm, 12mm, 8mm BST Explorer 60°; Kellners - 25mm Celestron; 40mm & 9mm Japanese; MA - 25mm & 10mm Skywatcher; Skywatcher 2x Barlow.
Binos: Helios Apollo 15x70. CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W, Manfrotto 679B Monopod/DynaSun WT011H 3/8 TriggerGrip Ballhead, Vanguard PhotoTripod (T-120223AB). Olympus 8x40 DPS I. Halina Discovery 8x30 [x2].
Re: 'Six-Tailed' Asteroid - an interesting read
"Asteroid P/2013 P5"
P/2013 P5 is a designation for a comet - yet at no point is the word
'comet' used to describe this object.
P/2013 P5 is a designation for a comet - yet at no point is the word
'comet' used to describe this object.
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trynda1701
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:48 pm
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Re: 'Six-Tailed' Asteroid - an interesting read
Yes,, that one has me a bit stumped. In the BBC report, it just says asteroid, But if you look at the link in the BBC report to the Astrophysics Journal Letters, the object is described as follows...
"Hubble Space Telescope observations of main-belt comet P/2013 P5 reveal an extraordinary system of six dust tails that distinguish this object from any other."
...and...
"As an inner-belt asteroid and probable Flora family member, the object is likely to be highly metamorphosed and unlikely to contain ice."
So, is it a comet, or asteroid?
Mark
"Hubble Space Telescope observations of main-belt comet P/2013 P5 reveal an extraordinary system of six dust tails that distinguish this object from any other."
...and...
"As an inner-belt asteroid and probable Flora family member, the object is likely to be highly metamorphosed and unlikely to contain ice."
So, is it a comet, or asteroid?
Mark
Scopes: Celestron C8 Classic (Black-1990), Skywatcher Heritage 130P Flexitube (2014).
EPs: Plossls - 24mm, 16mm ES Maxvision 68°; 18mm, 12mm, 8mm BST Explorer 60°; Kellners - 25mm Celestron; 40mm & 9mm Japanese; MA - 25mm & 10mm Skywatcher; Skywatcher 2x Barlow.
Binos: Helios Apollo 15x70. CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W, Manfrotto 679B Monopod/DynaSun WT011H 3/8 TriggerGrip Ballhead, Vanguard PhotoTripod (T-120223AB). Olympus 8x40 DPS I. Halina Discovery 8x30 [x2].
EPs: Plossls - 24mm, 16mm ES Maxvision 68°; 18mm, 12mm, 8mm BST Explorer 60°; Kellners - 25mm Celestron; 40mm & 9mm Japanese; MA - 25mm & 10mm Skywatcher; Skywatcher 2x Barlow.
Binos: Helios Apollo 15x70. CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W, Manfrotto 679B Monopod/DynaSun WT011H 3/8 TriggerGrip Ballhead, Vanguard PhotoTripod (T-120223AB). Olympus 8x40 DPS I. Halina Discovery 8x30 [x2].
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trynda1701
- Posts: 61
- Joined: Sat Apr 26, 2008 9:48 pm
- Contact:
Re: 'Six-Tailed' Asteroid - an interesting read
Actually, looking into the 'Flora family of objects' on Wikipedia reminded me of this object, P/2010 A2,...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P/2010_A2
...have a look at the pictures at the end of the entry for what I'm talking about. Thought to have been caused by "the impact of a small meter size object on the larger asteroid in February or March 2009".
Isn't the Solar System a strange and wonderous place?
Mark
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P/2010_A2
...have a look at the pictures at the end of the entry for what I'm talking about. Thought to have been caused by "the impact of a small meter size object on the larger asteroid in February or March 2009".
Isn't the Solar System a strange and wonderous place?
Mark
Scopes: Celestron C8 Classic (Black-1990), Skywatcher Heritage 130P Flexitube (2014).
EPs: Plossls - 24mm, 16mm ES Maxvision 68°; 18mm, 12mm, 8mm BST Explorer 60°; Kellners - 25mm Celestron; 40mm & 9mm Japanese; MA - 25mm & 10mm Skywatcher; Skywatcher 2x Barlow.
Binos: Helios Apollo 15x70. CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W, Manfrotto 679B Monopod/DynaSun WT011H 3/8 TriggerGrip Ballhead, Vanguard PhotoTripod (T-120223AB). Olympus 8x40 DPS I. Halina Discovery 8x30 [x2].
EPs: Plossls - 24mm, 16mm ES Maxvision 68°; 18mm, 12mm, 8mm BST Explorer 60°; Kellners - 25mm Celestron; 40mm & 9mm Japanese; MA - 25mm & 10mm Skywatcher; Skywatcher 2x Barlow.
Binos: Helios Apollo 15x70. CZJ Jenoptem 10x50W, Manfrotto 679B Monopod/DynaSun WT011H 3/8 TriggerGrip Ballhead, Vanguard PhotoTripod (T-120223AB). Olympus 8x40 DPS I. Halina Discovery 8x30 [x2].
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brian livesey
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- Location: Lancashire
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Re: 'Six-Tailed' Asteroid - an interesting read
The BBC is frequently sloppy in its reporting of astronomical phenomena. Like the one about the "meteor" that wiped out the dinosaurs 
.
.brian
Re: 'Six-Tailed' Asteroid - an interesting read
Dear Mark, Stella & Brian
All I can say is the sooner the damn thing breaks up - the better !
At least I can forget about it then.
But suppose it doesn't break up -just keeps floating around with 6 tails forever.
That might be a puzzle & a half.
Main belt comets & Oort cloud asteroids ????
Cor blimey.
Best wishes from Cliff
PS BBC Breakfast Presenter - Weather forecaster chat (if I heard things right)
"Did you say tomorrow will be the coldest day so far ?"
" No, Tomorrow will be the coldest day this week !"
All I can say is the sooner the damn thing breaks up - the better !
At least I can forget about it then.
But suppose it doesn't break up -just keeps floating around with 6 tails forever.
That might be a puzzle & a half.
Main belt comets & Oort cloud asteroids ????
Cor blimey.
Best wishes from Cliff
PS BBC Breakfast Presenter - Weather forecaster chat (if I heard things right)
"Did you say tomorrow will be the coldest day so far ?"
" No, Tomorrow will be the coldest day this week !"