Observing Asteroids

The Best Asteroids in 2007

Mar 21, 2007 Kelly Whitt

Asteroids appear bright on certain nights in 2007. Catch asteroid Vesta without a telescope!

Vesta, the only asteroid occasionally visible to the unaided eye, makes a great appearance in spring of 2007. The fourth asteroid to be discovered, Vesta reaches opposition on May 31, 2007, at magnitude 5.4. Objects at magnitude 6 are generally considered the threshold that a person can see without optical aid. Because it will appear as a dim star, watch it for a few nights on either side of opposition. It will slowly move against the background stars.

One August 30, 2007, Pallas, the second asteroid to be discovered, reaches its opposition. Opposition is the point when a solar system object appears opposite the sun in our sky, making it a good time to observe as it is visible all night long. Pallas will be a magnitude 8.9.

Three asteroids reach opposition in November. Ceres, the first asteroid discovered, reaches opposition on November 11 at magnitude 7.2. Amphitrite (29) reaches opposition on November 16 at magnitude 8.8. And finally, Flora (8) reaches opposition on November 20 at magnitude 8.0.

Because asteroids will all look similar to stars, the best way to be sure you've spotted the right object is to observe over the course of several nights and take notes of what you see. Sketch the field of view, noting the position of the stars. Then continue back on each clear night to view and sketch the field again. Soon you will see which object is not a star, but a rocky chunk of space debris in our own solar system.

The copyright of the article Observing Asteroids in Astronomy & Space is owned by Kelly Whitt. Permission to republish Observing Asteroids in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.