172P/Yeung |
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Past, Present, and Future Orbits by Kazuo Kinoshita |
Discovery William Kwong Yu Yeung (Desert Eagle Observatory, Benson, Arizona, USA) discovered this "apparently asteroidal object" on 2002 January 21.49, using a charge-coupled-device (CCD) electronic-camera attached to his 45-cm reflector. The stellar image had a magnitude of 20.4. He obtained additional images on January 22 and 23. It received the preliminary designation of "2002 BV". During early April, Yeung noted that his new object was still listed as having astrometry from only three days, so despite the fact that it should have been brightening, no additional positions were obtained. He contacted T. Spahr (Whipple Observatory, Mt. Hopkins). Spahr found that positions were available from Lincoln Laboratory ETS (New Mexico, USA) for February, March, and April. These positions allowed him to identify additional asteroidal images that had been reported during 1998 (Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak, Arizona, USA) and 2000-2001 (Lincoln Laboratory ETS). The 2001 positions spanned nearly a month and the object received the preliminary minor planet designation "2001 CB40". Spahr noted the "unusual nature of the orbit" and, together with M. Calkins, he obtained unfiltered CCD observations on May 5, 6, and 7, using the 1.2-m reflector. The images revealed the object was larger that the nearby stars, while a faint tail extended 5 arc seconds in PA 315¡. The total magnitude was given as 17. Historical Highlights
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