Astroblog: NEO 2012 QG42 12-09-12

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

NEO 2012 QG42 12-09-12

NEO 2012 QG42 imaged using the iTelescope T5 instrument on 12 September 2012. This is a stack of 7 x 60 second images.

They were stacked in ImageJ and a Max intensity Z project made, then despeckeled. The images have variations in brightness which may indicate it is rotating (see my previous image for a better plot). Click to embiggen.

375 metre diameter Near Earth Object 2012 QG42 continues to brighten as it heads for closest approach. It will be 7.4 Earth-Moon distances from us at closest approach on September 14 at 05:08 UT.

Un-calibrated intensity of each asteroid image obtained using ImageJ. This suggests the asteroid is rotating rapidly.

For my previous images and animation see here and here.

Here's my video made from my image sequence.

Labels: animation, asteroids, astrophotography, iTelescope, NEO