2006 VV2 - anybody planning observations?

From spaceweather.com, I know that this should be an observable event
(magnitude 9 or 10 or thereabouts) on 31 March. Sounds like a really
nice things to watch... but where? does anyone have any idea where/
when close approach occurs, or where on Earth it's visible? I can't
seem to find anything on-line, and my copy of SNP is so old it no
longer is working with my system (grrr). Help?

--
Brian Davis

"Brian Davis" writes:

From spaceweather.com, I know that this should be an observable event
(magnitude 9 or 10 or thereabouts) on 31 March. Sounds like a really
nice things to watch... but where? does anyone have any idea where/
when close approach occurs, or where on Earth it's visible? I can't
seem to find anything on-line, and my copy of SNP is so old it no
longer is working with my system (grrr). Help?

The near Earth asteroid 2006 VV2 is presently located in Eridanus (I
imaged it on the 19. at magnitude 15.4), moving slowly towards
Polaris. It will pick up speed and brightness as it passes the Big
Dipper and into Leo. On the 31. it will reach magnitude 10 as it moves
from Leo Minor (at UT 00:00), at about 1 degree per hour (1 arcsecond
per second), crosses Leo, and will be just beneath Leo's belly at
24:00 when it is at the brightest (mag 9.9). Unfortunately, the nearly
full moon is then just about 3 degrees away and will seriously
interfere with vieweing this fly-by.

pej
--
Per Erik Jorde

Per Erik Jorde writes:

There is a map he
http://www.dangl.at/2007/2006_vv2/2006_vv2.htm

Click on the map to get more detailed views.


pej
--
Per Erik Jorde

Brian Davis wrote:

From spaceweather.com, I know that this should be an observable event
(magnitude 9 or 10 or thereabouts) on 31 March. Sounds like a really
nice things to watch... but where? does anyone have any idea where/
when close approach occurs, or where on Earth it's visible? I can't
seem to find anything on-line, and my copy of SNP is so old it no
longer is working with my system (grrr). Help?

One of the easiest ways to find this fast-moving object will be to use
RTGUI, the free Real-Time Astronomy program for Windows.

From North America, the asteroid's closest approach will be on the
evening of March 30, so set the program time to before sunset on that
day: Date = March 30 2007, Time = 18:00.

Click on "Get Comet/Asteroid", then for the name
enter 2006 VV2 . Also be sure to check the box, "Near-Earth Object",
then click "Go". If you have a valid internet connection, it will
download minute-by-minute positions for the asteroid, but ONLY for
that 24-hour period. As a real-time program, RTGUI automatically
updates its positions, so each minute it updates the asteroid
position. If you have a Goto scope, just hit the "Goto" button at any
time, and you'll be there. If you have Skycharts installed, just hit
the "Skycharts" button to see the star field.

You can repeat this process for the evening of March 31, if you wish.
Also you can get 60 days' hourly positions by not checking the
near-earth box (do this after the minute-by-minute positions are
obtained), the program must be in real-time mode for this. But when
the object is near its closest approach, the hourly positions probably
won't be good enough to find it easily.

Robert Sheaffer