March edition of Cometary Science News (apparently no Feb?) now up. Three papers: luminescence of objects (i. e., UV/IR reemission) including asteroids, and distant-yet-active comets. Luminescence is chemically/compositionally interesting, but for characterization, not search. The Hui et al. paper on… Read More »Cometary Science News, March
Normally, Astrophysical Journal isn’t much of a source on small bodies. The March “issue,” however, has some asteroid/comet research of note, touching upon basic laws of the Solar System: vol. 963 Issue 1 (March 1): Taki, T. Wakita, S. Chondrule… Read More »Note, Paper: Digital Bits on Critical Bits
Lots of energetic events in the “February” issues of MNRAS (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society). MNRAS 2024 vol. 528 (February), issue 1: Yang, H. Yee, J. C. Hwang, K.-H. Systematic reanalysis of KMTNet microlensing events, paper I:… p.11… Read More »Note, Paper: Bump/Flash/Crash in the night
This isn’t news to anyone already in the loop, but… a Rubin Observatory presser spells it out for those who aren’t. The sky survey by Vera Rubin might as well be a long, heavy asteroid mission: Rubin Observatory will Inspire… Read More »…”Without Ever Leaving the Ground”
Brief observation of non-observation: no small-body works in the Feb. Nature Astronomy (arguably). The Ryugu paper was actually out in late Nov./early Dec, so its label “Feb 2024” is an accounting fluke. As with Science, there’s so much going on… Read More »No-Paper: Nature Astronomy
A good Feb issue (vol. 215) of Acta Astronautica, the less-tangible, harder-vacuum title of the AIAA: Stipsits, S. Legal considerations on a regional security organization for planetary defence p. 117 10.1016/j.actaastro.2023.11019 Bellome, A. Sánchez, J. P. García Mateas, J. C.… Read More »Note, Paper: Acta Ast(e)ronautica
Apparently the Feb issue of Meteoritics and Planetary Science is about quality, not quantity. Such is meteoritics in general: this subdiscipline doesn’t draw tourists, gawkers, and fanboys, so the serious people can get their work done: Ninomiya, K. Osawa, T.… Read More »Note, Paper: Brit-Met-Feb Rep
Water has been reported, with high confidence, on two more asteroids. Water is notable as the first objective of asteroid mining: obtaining propellant for the trip back, among other (later) uses. Arredondo, A., McAdam, M. M. Honniball, C. I. et.al. 2024… Read More »Pay Dirt: Confirmed (7) Iris, (20) Massalia Water
Happy Friday. The latest IAU nomenclature bulletin (vol. 4, #2) now makes it official. The main-belt asteroid- formerly under a temporary designation 1981 ET27- is now officially, permanently numbered and named. It is now (12994) Pitufo. The low number indicates… Read More »On The Rocks: Oros Trozos
One short month to the big annual meeting: Lunar and Planetary Science Conference, or LPSC. Not too late to register- early registration until Feb. 23, absolute deadline Mar. 4: http://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2024/registration An entire special session is OSIRIS-REx, and that’s without general curation… Read More »…the big meeting: LPSC