fast moving object
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by
Andy_Arg
In set http://talk.asteroidzoo.org/#/subjects/AAZ0000eco
you can see an object moving so fast that in each individual image has an elongated shape.
may be a NEA?Posted
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by
grums
Hi Andy_Arg. That is a very interesting object. The elongation is probably not due to its moving fast though. I believe the normal exposures are 30 seconds with a 10 minute gap, although I understand that this can occasionally be varied. If it were a standard exposure and it stretched that much in 30 seconds the gap would be about 20 times bigger. Perhaps it is just a long object! I think this object is worth a comment from Dr Asteroid though.
Posted
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by
grums
Having another look at this, I think it is probably unlikely that a long object would be proceeding on a course exactly along the direction of its major axis, although possible. It seems more likely that the photograph sequence timing was changed for this set so that the exposure was increased and/or the gap between exposures was reduced (or both). The ratio has to be only around 2:1 rather than the normal 20:1, which is a bit surprising.
Posted
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A search of it reveals nothing within a one degree by 40 arcminute range (about the size of 2 full moons by 1 1/3rd full moons) As a result there are a few possibilities. Either A. a near-earth object quite near the earth at the time of exposure, B. A normal main-belt asteroid with an unusually long exposure time for each image, or C, a geostationary satellite or near-geostationary satellite.
Posted
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Update: Asteroid is magnitude ~18 at the time of exposure.
Posted
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by
grums
B would fit in with the exposure time being increased with respect to the gap between exposures. I am surprised though because I expected all these observations to be done automatically and without much human supervision??
Posted
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It moves quite fast compared to other asteroids in the asteroid belt, though. I would figure that if it is indeed an asteroid, it must be a near-Earth asteroid because it is magnitude ~18, and almost every asteroid at a regular magnitude of this has been discovered. Secondly, along with the previously mentioned reason.
Posted
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by
grums
Yes, perhaps it is a NEA but it still seems like someone has adjusted the exposure/gap ratio compared with the norm. If the exposure had been increased then other stars in the field would also be much larger/brighter than the norm. If the surrounding stars are only as bright as expected, then the exposure has not been increased but the gap time decreased. So this leaves a very fast moving, probable, NEA. Maybe someone spotted this at the time and adjusted the exposure/gap to better capture the object, although they could have done a better job, and also, if this is the case, I would have expected this to have been noted. The exposure/gap ratio is not sacrosanct apparently, but there has to be a good reason to change it by a factor of 10 or so!
Posted
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by
Andy_Arg
in response to planetaryscience's comment.
There is an asteroid very close ( 1ยด45" South) but moves in the other direction: (2013 PE29) and is to dim: Magnitude 20.4
I keep looking...HaHaPosted
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by
Andy_Arg
another one!!
AAZ0000y6i
very fast and retrograde.
I was not able to identify it .
For Possition see:
Astrometry.netPosted
