------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 1795 2002 Aug 06 19.54UT 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.theastronomer.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2002 NY40 Further to the note on E-Circular 1788, we have been receiving numerous enquiries about this asteroid which may become bright enough for binocular observing on the night of August 17/18. Revised orbital elements have now been released which substantially change the original ephemeris. A revised set of predictions at hourly intervals is given below for the bright phase: Date UT R.A.(J2000) Decl. Delta r El. Ph. V 2002 08 17 00 21 02.71 +03 32.9 0.016 1.028 160.0 19.7 11.4 2002 08 17 01 21 01.60 +03 49.5 0.016 1.027 159.6 20.1 11.4 2002 08 17 02 21 00.42 +04 07.2 0.015 1.027 159.1 20.5 11.3 2002 08 17 03 20 59.17 +04 26.0 0.015 1.026 158.7 21.0 11.3 2002 08 17 04 20 57.82 +04 46.1 0.014 1.026 158.2 21.5 11.2 2002 08 17 05 20 56.39 +05 07.6 0.014 1.025 157.7 22.0 11.1 2002 08 17 06 20 54.84 +05 30.7 0.013 1.025 157.2 22.5 11.1 2002 08 17 07 20 53.18 +05 55.4 0.013 1.024 156.6 23.1 11.0 2002 08 17 08 20 51.39 +06 22.0 0.012 1.024 156.0 23.7 10.9 2002 08 17 09 20 49.45 +06 50.8 0.012 1.023 155.3 24.4 10.9 2002 08 17 10 20 47.35 +07 21.9 0.012 1.023 154.6 25.2 10.8 2002 08 17 11 20 45.05 +07 55.6 0.011 1.022 153.8 26.0 10.7 2002 08 17 12 20 42.55 +08 32.3 0.011 1.022 152.9 26.8 10.7 2002 08 17 13 20 39.80 +09 12.5 0.010 1.021 151.9 27.8 10.6 2002 08 17 14 20 36.76 +09 56.4 0.010 1.021 150.9 28.8 10.5 2002 08 17 15 20 33.41 +10 44.7 0.009 1.020 149.7 30.0 10.5 2002 08 17 16 20 29.67 +11 38.1 0.009 1.020 148.5 31.3 10.4 2002 08 17 17 20 25.49 +12 37.1 0.008 1.019 147.0 32.7 10.3 2002 08 17 18 20 20.78 +13 42.7 0.008 1.019 145.5 34.3 10.2 2002 08 17 19 20 15.45 +14 56.0 0.007 1.018 143.7 36.1 10.1 2002 08 17 20 20 09.36 +16 18.0 0.007 1.018 141.7 38.1 10.1 2002 08 17 21 20 02.35 +17 50.2 0.006 1.017 139.4 40.4 10.0 2002 08 17 22 19 54.23 +19 34.0 0.006 1.017 136.8 43.0 9.9 2002 08 17 23 19 44.72 +21 31.1 0.006 1.016 133.8 45.9 9.8 2002 08 18 00 19 33.47 +23 43.0 0.005 1.016 130.4 49.3 9.8 2002 08 18 01 19 20.03 +26 11.1 0.005 1.015 126.5 53.3 9.7 2002 08 18 02 19 03.83 +28 55.7 0.005 1.015 122.0 57.8 9.7 2002 08 18 03 18 44.12 +31 55.4 0.004 1.014 116.8 63.0 9.7 2002 08 18 04 18 20.06 +35 05.6 0.004 1.014 110.9 68.9 9.8 2002 08 18 05 17 50.75 +38 16.6 0.004 1.013 104.2 75.6 9.9 We hope that this early notification of the bright passage will assist the planning of observations but would still caution observers that further orbit refinements may still significantly change the ephemerides. Guy M Hurst