------------------------------------------------------------------- THE ASTRONOMER Electronic Circular No 2972 2014 Jan 02 1956.UT 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 Backup: gmh@wdcc1.bnsc.rl.ac.uk WORLD WIDE WEB http://www.theastronomer.org ------------------------------------------------------------------- 2014 AA Discovery details of 2014 AA appeared earlier today on M.P.E.C. 2014-A02 showing detected by Mt. Lemmon Survey (station G96): 2014 01 01.26257 05 32 35.55 +13 59 45.0 19.1 VqEA002G96 2014 01 01.26896 05 32 28.89 +13 59 36.7 18.8 VqEA002G96 2014 01 01.28176 05 32 15.27 +13 59 16.4 18.9 VqEA002G96 2014 01 01.30701 05 31 47.92 +13 58 21.1 19.0 VqEA002G96 2014 01 01.30828 05 31 46.54 +13 58 17.9 19.0 VqEA002G96 2014 01 01.30955 05 31 45.15 +13 58 14.6 19.1 VqEA002G96 2014 01 01.31081 05 31 43.79 +13 58 11.1 18.9 VqEA002G96 Observer details: G96 Mt. Lemmon Survey. Observer R. A. Kowalski. Measurers A. Boattini, E. J. Christensen, A. R. Gibbs, A. D. Grauer, R. E. Hill, J. A. Johnson, R. A. Kowalski, S. M. Larson, F. C. Shelly. 1.5-m reflector + CCD. Orbital elements: 2014 AA Earth MOID = 0.0000 AU Epoch 2014 Jan. 1.0 TT = JDT 2456658.5 MPC M 324.30925 (2000.0) P Q n 0.78273412 Peri. 52.35440 -0.89800711 -0.43929392 a 1.1660751 Node 101.57475 +0.39536118 -0.83018926 e 0.2149211 Incl. 1.43759 +0.19306155 -0.34322973 P 1.26 H 30.9 G 0.15 U 2 Ephemeris: Date TT R. A. (2000) Decl. Delta r Elong. V 2014 01 01.00 05 32 07.5 +14 16 28 0.0035200.9867 160.7 19.6 2014 01 01.10 05 32 17.7 +14 16 29 0.0032230.9864 160.7 19.4 2014 01 01.20 05 32 30.1 +14 16 31 0.0029250.9861 160.6 19.2 2014 01 01.30 05 32 45.4 +14 16 33 0.0026260.9858 160.6 18.9 2014 01 01.40 05 33 04.6 +14 16 37 0.0023260.9855 160.6 18.7 2014 01 01.50 05 33 29.6 +14 16 42 0.0020240.9853 160.6 18.4 2014 01 01.60 05 34 03.5 +14 16 49 0.0017200.9850 160.6 18.0 2014 01 01.70 05 34 52.2 +14 16 59 0.0014130.9847 160.7 17.6 2014 01 01.80 05 36 08.3 +14 17 13 0.0011020.9844 160.9 17.0 2014 01 01.90 05 38 25.6 +14 17 37 0.0007830.9841 161.2 16.3 2014 01 02.00 05 44 02.0 +14 18 15 0.0004480.9838 162.3 15.0 Gareth Williams comments that it is virtually certain that 2014 AA hit the Earth's atmosphere on 2014 Jan. 2.2 +/- 0.4, as demonstrated by independent calculations by Bill Gray, the MPC and Steve Chesley (JPL). According to Chesley, the impact locations are widely distributed, most likely falling on an arc extending from Central America to East Africa, with a best-fit location just off the coast of West Africa on Jan. 2.10. 2014 AA was unlikely to have survived atmospheric entry intact, as it was comparable in size to 2008 TC3, the only other example of an impacting object observed prior to atmospheric entry. Guy M Hurst