AP 18

Lunar – Plato

March 18 2016, 2037 UT. Moon 9 days, 18 hrs and 43 minutes. ¹/₆₀ sec exposure.

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Pluto

Magnitude 14.1 dwarf planet imaged over two nights, 3/4 July 2016. Upper, (arrowed) with (A) mag 2.9 Albaldah, pi Sagittarii; and (b) mag 9.7 TYC 6295-1223-1. 0126 UT. Lower, 0114 UT, having drifted 86 arc-seconds eastward. Discovered Feb 1930 by Clyde Tombaugh, visited Jul 2015 by New Horizons spacecraft. Diameter 1470 miles, Earth distance 3 billion miles. Opposition occurs July 7. Photographed with DSLR and 8″ SCT, 40-sec exposure. Field: 18′ x 12′. 

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Asteroids (19) Fortuna and (20) Massalia

Discovered by Hind in 1852; mag 9.7 (arrowed), in Aquarius; diameter 124 ml, Earth distance 120m miles. With (a) 18 Aqr. Aug 12 2016, 0154 IST.

Discovered 28 days later by de Gasparis/Chacornac; mag 10.2 (arrowed), in Capricornus; diameter 90 ml, Earth distance 160m miles. With (p) rho Cap. Aug 12 2016, 0146 IST.

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Distribution of Magnitudes

A seven square degree field centred at RA 22 39, Dec -16.1 in Aquarius, imaged at 2312 IST, Aug 26 2016 –

External link 

generates the following statistical analysis :

Magnitude 9.67 – 10.0 (a) : 49
Magnitude 9.33 – 9.66 (b) : 58
Magnitude 9.00 – 9.32 (c) : 40

Magnitude 8.67 – 8.99 (d) : 27
Magnitude 8.33 – 8.66 (e) : 27
Magnitude 8.00 – 8.32 (f) : 14

Magnitude 7.67 – 7.99 (g) : 9
Magnitude 7.33 – 7.66 (h) : 11
Magnitude 7.00 – 7.32 (i) : 5

Magnitude 6.67 – 6.99 (j) : 3
Magnitude 6.33 – 6.66 (k) : 2
Magnitude 6.00 – 6.32 (l) : 1

Magnitude 5.67 – 5.99 (m) : 0
Magnitude 5.33 – 5.66 (n) : 2
Magnitude 5.00 – 5.32 (o) : 1

Magnitude 4.67 – 4.99 (p) : 0
Magnitude 4.33 – 4.66 (q) : 1
Magnitude 4.00 – 4.32 (r) : 1

Skat; delta Aquarii – mag 3.25

Total stars : 252; mag 9 – 10 : 147 [58%], mag 8 – 8.99 : 68 [27], mag 7 – 7.99 : 25 [10], mag 6 – 6.99 : 6 [2], mag 5 – 5.99 : 3 [1],  mag 4 – 4.99 : 2 [1], 3rd mag – 1 [0.4].  

Total sky area – 41253 sq degs or 5,900 times this sample size. Milky Way density being notably higher. 

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Asteroid (17) Thetis

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Iridium Flare in Perseus

 Magnitude -6 flare from Iridium 77, originating near Mirphak. Sep 1 2016, 2302 IST. 

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Asteroid (18) Melpomene [and 1 Ceres]

Discovered by Hind in 1852; mag 8.9 (arrowed), diameter 87 ml, Earth distance 95m miles. With (C) Ceres, mag 8, 1.8° away and (A) HIP 11738, mag 5.3, in Cetus. Sep 1 2016, 0146 IST.

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Neptune in central Aquarius 2016

Earth distance 2.7 billion miles, mag 7.7 (N), with (a) HIP 112168. Sep 1 2016, 0154 IST.

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Near-Earth Asteroid (164121) 2003 YT1

Above : distance 4 million miles, diameter 1.1 miles, est mag 11.9; circled, approaching Polaris lower left. Nov 2 2016, 0033 UT.

Below : 9 arc-minutes from Polaris (P), passing between (a) mags 11.85 TYC 4628-239-1 and (b) TYC 4628-72-1. 0241 and 0242 UT.

CHAPTER XIX