[meteorite-list] Updated Charts for Asteroid 2004 BL86 Earth Flyby on Jan 26, 2015

[Ron Baalke]

http://neo.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news188.html

Updated Charts for Asteroid 2004 BL86 Earth Flyby on Jan 26, 2015
Paul Chodas & Jon Giorgini
NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office 
January 22, 2015

[Diagram]
This diagram shows the close passage of 2004 BL86 on January 26, 2015. 
The view is nearly edge-on to the Earth's orbit; the Moon's nearly circular 
orbit is highly foreshortened from this viewpoint. The asteroid moves 
from the south to the north, from below the Earth's orbit to above. The 
indicated times are Universal Time. Closest approach occurs at about 16:19 
UTC, or about 11:19 EST. The roughly 500-meter (1500-foot) asteroid approaches 
to within 1.2 million kilometers (750,000 miles) of Earth, or about 3.1 
times the distance of the Moon. 
Image credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

[Diagram]
The track of asteroid 2004 BL86 as viewed from the Earth, plotted on a 
star chart with an equatorial coordinate grid. The asteroid location is 
shown at four-hour intervals from January 26 to 28. The indicated times 
are Universal Time; subtract 5 hours for Eastern Standard Time (EST), 
6 hours for CST, and 8 hours for PST. On January 26, the asteroid will 
pass within 11 degrees of Jupiter, now shining brightly in the east in 
the evening sky.

JPL orbit solution #43, with star chart graphics produced using C2A.

[Diagram]
This view shows the two-day track of 2004 BL86 relative to a local horizon 
at 9 pm in the evening, as seen from locations in the contiguous United 
States. On the evening of January 26, the asteroid will pass near a brightly 
shining Jupiter in the eastern sky, about 11 degrees higher relative to 
the eastern horizon. Cardinal directions are given along the bottom. The 
times given on the asteroid track are in Universal Time; subtract 5 hours 
to obtain Eastern Standard Time (EST), 6 hours for CST, 8 hours for PST.

JPL orbit solution #43, with star chart graphics produced using C2A.

Related Links

* Asteroid 2004 BL86 to Fly By Earth Safely on January 26 (NASA - January 13, 2015)
  http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news.php?feature=4441