Re: [ATM] What is a NEO scope?

[Thomas A Simmons <tasimmons@raytheon.com>]

David,

  Weeeeelllll, if an object that crosses Earth's orbit just happens
to be big enough and crosses path with Earth, it could ruin your
after-noon.

  I ran the following magnitudes through ECU 4.0 (latest revision of a
popular
planetarium software). Should the info get line wrapped, I'm listing
limiting
magnitude and how many Near Earth Objects it can detect. ECU uses the data
set
available from
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iau/Ephemerides/Unusual/Soft10Unusual.txt
Mag 16   2
Mag 17   4
Mag 18   9
Mag 19  27
Mag 20  50
Mag 21  80

I don't have access to Newt or something similar that can translate
telescope size
and FL to limiting magnitude, but IIRC a 12 inch F6 limiting magnitude is
17.

Tom
Tucson, AZ

Note: Not connected with ECU outside of being a customer. A google search
of
Earth Centered Universe will get you any additional information you desire.



Date: Tue, 1 Jun 2004 18:32:22 -0700 (PDT)
From: vorblesnak@peak.org
Subject: [ATM] What is a NEO scope?
To: atm@atmlist.net
Message-ID: <1690.66.191.21.178.1086139942.squirrel@webmail.peak.org>
Content-Type: text/plain;charset=iso-8859-1

I saw a letter in the Reflections magazine where the author lamented that
not enough NEO, (Near Earth Object), scopes were being built.  What would
comprise a NEO scope?  Fast, big aperture?

David Davis
Toledo, OR

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