Early-2025 activity on the mountaintop was largely removing ComCam, and integrating the final LSSTCam onto the telescope. Per my last update, that camera change has happened; time for another post. As observing is getting closer and closer, so too will… Read More »Vera Rubin Update (LATE-April 2025)
Still time to sign up for the European Astronomical Society Annual Meeting, this 23 – 27 June 2025 at University College Cork Cork, Ireland. Early bird registration ends Monday, 28 April 2025. eas.unige.ch/EAS meeting/program.jsp: Symposium S6 23-24 June 2025 The future… Read More »2025 EAS Meeting, Cork
Articles of note in MNRAS (Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society) for April: Volume 538, Issue 2 – Volume 538, Issue 3 Mariblanca-Escalona, I. Lara, L. M. Moreno, F. et al. Activity of comet 7P/Pons–Winnecke during the 2021 apparition… Read More »Note, Paper: Not Blind Curves
Some things in AJ (Astronomical Journal) for May (vol. 169 #5): Vokrouhlický, D. Nesvorný, D. Broz, M. et al. Orbital and Absolute Magnitude Distribution of Hilda Population 242 adbe7bHora, J. L. Allen, A. J. Trilling, D. E. et al. Infrared… Read More »Note, Paper: Taking Faint Game
In light of the Lucy mission’s asteroid flyby tomorrow (1:51 PM EDT), it’s time for another batch of papers from Planetary Science Journal. In volume 6: Runyon, K. D. Durda, D. D. Klein, V. et al. Methods for Experimental Planetary… Read More »Note, Paper: Pre-Flyby Write
One (serious) Planetary and Space Science paper for May (vol. 259): Marschall, R. Morbidelli, A. Marrocchi, Y. The refractory-to-ice ratio in comet 67P: Implications on the composition of the comet-forming region of the protoplanetary disk Art. 106061 .2501.17864 To bystanders,… Read More »Note, Paper: Hydration Implications
Oops, missed Astrophysical Journal Letters for April 10 (vol. 983, #1): Mousis, O. Werlen, A. Benest Couzinou, T. et al. Primordial Origin of Methane on Eris and Makemake Supported by D/H Ratios L12 adc134Lim, B. Ishiguro, M. Takahashi, J. et… Read More »Note, Paper: Outerphys Journ
The (formerly threatening) asteroid Apophis will make its (safe) pass by the Earth on April 13, 2029. (No coincidence, the UN has also declared 2029 to be the Year of Planetary Defense.) That means four years to prepare scientific observations,… Read More »Apophis T-4 Years Meeting
…and speaking of good publicity: The Vera Rubin Observatory staff describe good installation of its LSSTCam onto the telescope. This major event (all large parts are now integrated) was well-documented, as one might expect. Coverage of the assembly, and even… Read More »Vera Rubin Update (Apr 2025)
Yes, I know I just posted on new entries from RNAA (Research Notes of the AAS). The newest Notes include a report of the James Webb Space Telescope getting time to spot asteroid 2024 YR4, which was initially tracked to… Read More »Note Note: JWST Studies 2024 YR4