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THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1609      2001 Feb 23 19.24UT
Ed:Guy M Hurst, 16,Westminster Close, Kempshott Rise,  Basingstoke,
Hants, RG22 4PP,England.Telephone/FAX(01256)471074Int:+441256471074
INTERNET: GUY@TAHQ.DEMON.CO.UK             GMH at AST.STAR.RL.AC.UK
WORLD WIDE WEB                    http://www.demon.co.uk/astronomer
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2001 DZ76
M. Blythe, F. Shelly, M. Bezpalko, R. Huber, L. Manguso, S. Adams,
1.0-m f/2.15 reflector + CCD, Lincoln Laboratory ETS, New Mexico,
report discovery of a fast-moving asteroid as below:

2001 02 20.28960 08 50 33.94 +12 45 29.8          17.8        704
2001 02 20.30343 08 50 48.42 +12 48 22.4          18.1        704
2001 02 20.31732 08 51 03.14 +12 51 16.1          18.2        704
2001 02 20.33228 08 51 19.24 +12 54 26.2          17.8        704
2001 02 20.34757 08 51 35.99 +12 57 39.8          18.5        704
2001 02 21.24570 09 18 54.64 +17 29 42.5          17.0        704
2001 02 21.25992 09 19 28.57 +17 35 41.2          17.2        704
2001 02 23.50714 16 09 26.80 +31 43 24.0          18.2        704
2001 02 23.50823 16 09 40.99 +31 42 10.4          18.5        704
2001 02 23.50836 16 09 42.66 +31 42 01.5          17.9        704
2001 02 23.50945 16 09 56.99 +31 40 47.6          18.3        704
2001 02 23.50958 16 09 58.64 +31 40 38.6          18.1        704
2001 02 23.51068 16 10 13.29 +31 39 22.2          19.0        704
2001 02 23.51081 16 10 14.60 +31 39 15.3          18.4        704


Orbital elements by Tim Spahr show it is making a close approach
to the Earth today and imaging would be very valuable:

2001 DZ76
Epoch 2001 Apr. 1.0 TT = JDT 2452000.5                  Spahr
M   2.84812              (2000.0)            P               Q
n   0.27323376     Peri.   38.05398     -0.98271563     +0.17912233
a   2.3520496      Node   152.15713     -0.18467687     -0.93109229
e   0.6076572      Incl.    5.74424     -0.01282378     -0.31777718
P   3.61           H   25.3           G   0.15           U   6

Ephemeris:
2001 DZ76                a,e,i = 2.35, 0.61, 6                   q =
0.9228
Date    TT    R. A. (2000) Decl.   Delta    r    Elong. Phase   V
2001 02 23.0  13 40.95   +37 40.3  0.0060 0.993  128.1  51.6  16.1
2001 02 23.5  16 07.32   +31 53.3  0.0066 0.991   99.3  80.3  17.2
2001 02 24.0  17 29.70   +22 51.6  0.0087 0.988   80.0  99.5  18.6
2001 02 24.5  18 11.67   +16 31.7  0.011  0.986   69.1 110.3  19.7

Guy M Hurst