EIU Astro

New Asteroid Discovered 2009 BD81, listed as “Risk” object by NASA February 3, 2009

This just in from Robert Holmes of ARI in Charleston and an adjunct faculty member in the physics department of Eastern Illinois University.

Friday night while measuring 2008 EV1, Robert Holmes  found another high speed object moving through the same field.  It turned out to be an undiscovered “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid”.   A few hours later, a teacher from Texas was using Robert Holmes data measuring 2008 EV1 in a class and also found the new object.  A student in Bulgaria that is part of ARO education and public outreach also notice the new asteroid.  Holmes listed both observers as measurers and co-discovers as well as H. Devore for confirmation follow-up observations of what is now 2009 BD81.  This object is a “Risk” object now listed on the NASA/JPL website and has 10 potential impact risks after March 4th 2042.  That year it will miss the earth by just 5.5 earth radii.  It will make an even closer approach in 2044. At the end of the month this PHA will pass within 7 million kilometers of earth.  The object is small at H = 20.2 and a diameter of 0.314 km.  This is the 1,015th PHA discovered to date.

For published discovery details see:
http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/mpec/K09/K09C09.html

NASA/JPL risk page: http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/risk/2009bd81.html

NEO DyS data:
http://newton.dm.unipi.it/cgi-bin/neodys/neoibo?objects:2009BD81;main