Asteroid & Comet Object Selection

This Web Site is best viewed with a screen resolution of 1280 x 1024.

Work In Progress!

Selecting the objects:

Once you get an observatory code, you then need to find out exactly what objects to observe.  The following explanation is one technique that can be used to find objects that are in need of observing by the Minor Planet Center.  Often, these objects can be brighter objects in the range of magnitude 18, but normally these objects will be fainter than magnitude 19.  These steps were written to assist in newcomers or anyone who has trouble finding objects to observe. 

Step 1:  Determine an area of the sky that would be good for observing (according to your location) on a particular night.  This area would need to be visible for as long as possible so you may cover a period of an hour or more for slower moving objects.  If the object is moving very slow, a period of two or three nights may be needed.

Step 2:  Go to MPChecker  http://scully.harvard.edu/~cgi/CheckMP

Step 3:  a. Type in the R. A. and Decl. of that area.

             b. Radius of Search:  Type in 300 arc. minutes (maximum amount allowed).  By searching 300 arc minutes, this will give a wider range of objects in need of observing.

             c. Limiting Magnitude:  According to ones equipment.  Most objects in need of observing will be in the range of 19 magnitude or fainter.  20 magnitude is default.

             d. Observatory Code:  500 is default - change as needed.

             e. Leave other settings as default unless changes need to be made according to the observer.

             f.  Click:  Produce List.

A list of *all* objects will appear with information pertaining to that area.  From here, one can choose from a selection of objects in need of observing.  If no objects are in need of observing in that area or they are out of range of your equipment, go back and make R.A. and Decl. adjustments in the MPChecker for another nearby area.  Try to avoid searching areas that are heavily populated by stars.  Searching within the Main Asteroid Belt will usually produce the best results and almost guarantee objects in need of observations. 

When the list appears, there may be more than one hundred objects in the 300 arc. minutes selected, but choose those that are in *need* of observing. 

Note the NEO (16834) 1997 WU22 below.  This would be the object to observe and measure.

(57849) 2001 XR86       04 33 24.6 +11 20 40  19.5 144.9E   3.8N     17+    15+    8o  None needed at this time.
(1283) Komsomolia        04 31 19.3 +12 48 24  15.6 114.2E  91.5N    33+    14+    24o  None needed at this time.
(27489) 2000 GW99      04 22 21.9 +08 50 59  19.7  17.6W 145.9S   29+    10+    9o  None needed at this time.
(29039) 4514 T-1           04 31 40.3 +09 51 26  19.3 119.3E  85.5S    28+    10+    8o  None needed at this time.
(54373) 2000 KZ53       04 13 38.5 +11 37 50  19.4 145.9W  20.9N   38+    24+    7o  None needed at this time.
(16834) 1997 WU22      04 24 22.9 +13 43 50  18.8  12.1E 146.9N    34+       3-    9o  NEO : Desirable between 2007 Feb. 26-Mar. 28.  ( 89.6,+13.7,18.8)
(82363) 2001 MF7         04 15 27.2 +12 45 53  19.4 119.2W  89.0N   44+    15+    8o  None needed at this time.
(30978) 1995 MO5        04 29 22.0 +13 18 42  19.7  85.4E 121.8N     32+    13+    9o  None needed at this time.
(39) Laetitia                    04 33 41.3 +11 26 22  11.3 149.0E   9.5N       30+    15+   77o  None needed at this time.
 2002 AO83                   04 13 29.0 +10 54 33  19.6 148.2W  22.4S     41+    26+    4o  None needed at this opposition.
(11213) 1999 HF8         04 32 15.1 +12 36 56  17.9 127.9E  80.0N      27+    10+   11o  None needed at this time.
 

Now that you have your objects selected, you can go to Tip 2

More to come...