Comments on: First near-Earth triple asteroid found http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 05 Jul 2009 06:22:30 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.3.1 By: blf http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70481 blf Sun, 17 Feb 2008 12:52:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70481 <em>Think of the astronomers as bats</em> I'm now sure the time I see a bat I'll be thinking "There's The BAt!" Think of the astronomers as bats

I’m now sure the time I see a bat I’ll be thinking “There’s The BAt!”

]]> By: StevoR http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70480 StevoR Sat, 16 Feb 2008 06:51:01 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70480 Thanks for that news BA - just a couple of minor quibbles : "The more we know about near-Earth asteroids, the better! If you disagree, I suggest going to your local natural history museum ... " Unless your unluckly enough that your local "Natural History Museum" happens to be a creationist one in which case you'll get badly MIS-informed that the Dinos were around withAdam & Eve & got killed in Noah's flood! :- ( " ... and checking out the dinosaur bones. Look around. See how all the dinosaurs on display are dead, and no live ones are around?" Uh ... Birds? ;-) ----- NB. Haven't read the comments yet - gotta fly - sorry if these pts made already ... Thanks for that news BA - just a couple of minor quibbles :

“The more we know about near-Earth asteroids, the better! If you disagree, I suggest going to your local natural history museum … ”

Unless your unluckly enough that your local “Natural History Museum” happens to be a creationist one in which case you’ll get badly MIS-informed that the Dinos were around withAdam & Eve & got killed in Noah’s flood! :- (

” … and checking out the dinosaur bones. Look around. See how all the dinosaurs on display are dead, and no live ones are around?”

Uh … Birds? ;-)
—–

NB. Haven’t read the comments yet - gotta fly - sorry if these pts made already …

]]> By: Allen Thomson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70479 Allen Thomson Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:13:48 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70479 The technique used to produce the image is a form of inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), also called range-doppler and delay-doppler radar. See http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/SKA/science/node25.html The technique used to produce the image is a form of inverse synthetic aperture radar (ISAR), also called range-doppler and delay-doppler radar.

See http://www.ras.ucalgary.ca/SKA/science/node25.html

]]> By: Mark S. http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70478 Mark S. Fri, 15 Feb 2008 11:51:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70478 Does anyone know the orbital period of its satellites? I would imagine that they couldn't be anywhere near the same distance from the main mass. I'm wondering how big in the sky they would look if you were sitting on the big chunk, and how often they would pass over... Does anyone know the orbital period of its satellites? I would imagine that they couldn’t be anywhere near the same distance from the main mass.

I’m wondering how big in the sky they would look if you were sitting on the big chunk, and how often they would pass over…

]]> By: Wouter Lievens http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70477 Wouter Lievens Fri, 15 Feb 2008 08:28:53 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70477 How far apart are the sattelite asteroids from the main body? I haven't found that info anywhere. How far apart are the sattelite asteroids from the main body? I haven’t found that info anywhere.

]]> By: RickJ http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70476 RickJ Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:58:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70476 I've posted a shot of it taken Feb. 15, 2008 at 1:47 to 2:10 UTC on the forum at: http://www.bautforum.com/astrophotography/70371-triple-asteroid-2001-sn263.html#post1174312 This one is well positioned in Gemini. While it will be a tiny bit closer in a week the difference is very small so now is a good a time to look for it. Motion should be easy to see as it is moving at a tad over 8" of arc per minute to the southeast. By the 26th it will be near the head of Hydra so both hemispheres have a good look at this guy. It visible in a 6" or larger scope. Rick I’ve posted a shot of it taken Feb. 15, 2008 at 1:47 to 2:10 UTC on the forum at:
http://www.bautforum.com/astrophotography/70371-triple-asteroid-2001-sn263.html#post1174312

This one is well positioned in Gemini. While it will be a tiny bit closer in a week the difference is very small so now is a good a time to look for it. Motion should be easy to see as it is moving at a tad over 8″ of arc per minute to the southeast. By the 26th it will be near the head of Hydra so both hemispheres have a good look at this guy. It visible in a 6″ or larger scope.

Rick

]]> By: Ronn! http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70475 Ronn! Fri, 15 Feb 2008 07:30:41 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/first-near-earth-triple-asteroid-found/#comment-70475 For autumn: IIRC typically something larger than about 400 km across will be pretty much spherical, depending on its composition. Which means that 2001 SN263 is obviously artificial . . . ;) For autumn: IIRC typically something larger than about 400 km across will be pretty much spherical, depending on its composition. Which means that 2001 SN263 is obviously artificial . . . ;)

]]>