* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

RE: Asteroid 2006 VV2

Blobrana · L

Blobrana · L

Binary companion of minor planet 2006 VV2.
IAUC 8826.

Blobrana · L

The space rock, dubbed 2006 VV2, came within 2.1million miles of hitting us which is a near miss in space terms, even though that's about nine times farther away than the moon.
The asteroid was flying past Earth on Friday night, at 11 p.m. (PDT), and on Saturday 7 a.m. GMT for Europe.
There was no danger of collision. And that's a really good thing. This space rock, named 2006 VV2, is more than a mile wide (about 2 kilometers), according to the Web site.

Read more

Blobrana · L

An asteroid is flying past Earth on Friday night at a minimum distance of about 2 million miles. That's about nine times farther away than the moon. There is no danger of collision. And that's a really good thing. This space rock, named 2006 VV2, is more than 2 kilometres wide.

This image of asteroid 2006 VV2 was captured by astrophotographer Robert Long of the Astronomical Society of Las Cruces in New Mexico, using a CCD camera mounted on a 3-inch Orion ED80 refracting telescope.
Credit Robert Long

Read more

Blobrana · L

2006 VV2 was discovered by LINEAR (MIT) on November 11, 2006. It will approach within 0.023 AU (8.8 lunar distances) on March 31 when it will be a very strong radar imaging target. Its physical properties are unknown, but its absolute magnitude of 16.7 suggests a diameter within a factor of two of 1.5 km. If past experience is a guide, then there is a ~1/6 chance that it is a binary system.
This is the closest approach predicted for an object this intrinsically bright until May 2036, when (66391) 1999 KW4 will approach within 6.0 lunar distances.
Goldstone observations are scheduled on March 27, 30, and April 1-3.
Arecibo observations are scheduled on March 31 and April 1.

Read more

Blobrana · L

On March 30th the 2 km-wide asteroid 2006 VV2 will flyby the Earth.
The 9 -10th magnitude space rock will travel rapidly 2 million miles away through the constellation Leo.

Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase     V
2007 03 31    10 28.30   +32 36.3    0.0228   1.014   132.6    46.5    10.3


2006 VV2
Epoch 2007 Apr. 10.0 TT = JDT 2454200.5                 MPC
M   9.67396              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.26652066     Peri.  144.91460     -0.89763580     -0.43514980
a   2.3913811      Node    10.05039     +0.25303788     -0.63878846
e   0.6029923      Incl.   23.63404     +0.36086258     -0.63450292
P   3.70           H   16.7           G   0.15           U   0
From 457 observations at 2 oppositions, 2002-2007, mean residual 0".32.

Blobrana · L

Asteroid 2006 VV2 passes close to the Earth at the end of March and the early part of April. At its closest, on March 31, it will be 0.0226 AU away (8.8 lunar distances). This will be the closest known approach by an object this intrinsically bright until May 2036, when binary asteroid (66391) 1999 KW4 (H=16.4) approaches within 6 lunar distances.
Observers should be able to see it through modest telescopes as it reaches 10th magnitude on March 31st and April 1st.

Ephemeris

   Date     UT    RA (J2000) Decl.    Delta    r      El.  Ph.    V    "/min   P.A.

2007 03 25 0000  00 56 22  +82 13.6   0.065  0.989   80.8  95.5  14.2   7.76  037.1
2007 03 26 0000  02 24 30  +84 43,2   0.056  0.993   83.6  93.2  13.7  10.28  058.7
2007 03 27 0000  06 11 45  +85 13.2   0.047  0.997   87.5  89.8  13.2  14.41  115.0
2007 03 28 0000  08 53 39  +80 11.0   0.039  1.001   93.2  84.6  12.6  21.14  154.8
2007 03 29 0000  09 49 31  +70 20.8   0.031  1.005  101.9  76.3  11.9  32.23  168.1
2007 03 30 0000  10 14 23  +54 42.0   0.026  1.010  115.2  63.5  11.0  48.43  173.4
2007 03 31 0000  10 28 10  +32 31.9   0.023  1.014  132.6  46.4  10.3  61.58  175.6
2007 04 01 0000  10 36 54  +08 27.3   0.024  1.019  146.9  32.4  10.0  56.00  176.4
2007 04 02 0000  10 42 58  -10 35.2   0.028  1.024  149.6  29.6  10.3  39.11  176.5

Source

Blobrana · L

On March 31st, asteroid 2006 VV2 will pass close to the Earth at a distance of 8.8 lunar distances.
The 2-km wide asteroid will be visible as a 9 ot 10th magnitude moving star.

See orbit

Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.     Delta      r     Elong.  Phase     V
2007 01 30    23 15.98   +60 24.6    0.493    1.052    83.7    68.5    17.7
2007 02 04    23 16.10   +60 53.6    0.466    1.026    81.4    71.9    17.6
2007 02 09    23 16.71   +61 31.7    0.436    1.002    79.4    75.3    17.5
2007 02 14    23 17.67   +62 18.4    0.402    0.983    77.6    78.9    17.4
2007 02 19    23 18.89   +63 13.3    0.366    0.967    76.0    82.5    17.3
2007 02 24    23 20.25   +64 16.4    0.326    0.957    74.7    86.1    17.2
2007 03 01    23 21.75   +65 28.4    0.285    0.950    73.6    89.7    17.0
2007 03 06    23 23.57   +66 52.1    0.241    0.949    72.9    93.1    16.8
2007 03 11    23 26.33   +68 35.8    0.196    0.953    72.6    96.1    16.5
2007 03 16    23 31.79   +71 01.4    0.149    0.962    73.1    98.4    16.0
2007 03 21    23 47.19   +75 13.6    0.102    0.975    75.3    98.9    15.3
2007 03 26    02 25.12   +84 44.6    0.0560   0.993    83.6    93.2    13.7
2007 03 31    10 28.29   +32 35.7    0.0228   1.014   132.6    46.5    10.3
2007 04 05    10 53.75   -37 10.4    0.0519   1.040   138.3    39.8    11.9
2007 04 10    11 02.72   -49 26.1    0.0985   1.068   130.2    45.8    13.6

Source