Asteroid Warning: Could Affect Broadcast Satellites

[ota_canuck]

Sudden Asteroid Warning:

This may affect some satellites, even if there is no direct impact with sats or earth. Doubtful that this will enter the earth's atmosphere, but it could impact sats or cause sats to take immediate evasive actions that could effect communications and gps on earth.

[ETA 1pm est]

http://remanzacco.blogspot.com/2011/...-approach.html
Friday, February 4, 2011
2011 CQ1 - Very Close Approach

The newly discovered object, officially designated 2011 CQ1, will make a close Earth approach today February 04, 2011 around 19:40UT at ~0.03(LD)/0.00008(AU) or 11855 km.


2011 CQ1 has been discovered by R. A. Kowalski few hours ago in the course of the "Catalina Sky Survey" with a 0.68-m Schmidt + CCD. The object was moving at roughly 6 "/min and it was of magnitude ~19. According to its absolute magnitude H=32 this is a very small object, in the order of 2-3 meters.


Just few hours after his discovery, we have been able to follow-up this object using remotely a 0.35-m f/3.8 reflector + CCD of "Tzec Maun Observatory" in New Mexico. At the moment of our images (on February 04.46), "2011 CQ1" was moving at 23"/min and its magnitude was ~18.