Just in at Science magazine: the rush to observe interstellar object 3I/ATLAS. https://www.science.org/content/article/astronomers-race-study-interstellar-interloper11 Jul 2025 Adam Mann Astronomers race to study interstellar interloper z1ju4jb We have a few brief months to study this example of material from another system. In… Read More »3I/ATLAS Wrangling
…continuing on from a previous post… Astrophysics > Earth and Planetary Astrophysics arXiv:2507.05318v1 [Submitted on 7 Jul 2025]Hopkins, M. J. Dorsey, R. C. Forbes, J. C. et al. From a Different Star: 3I/ATLAS in the context of the Ōtautahi-Oxford interstellar object population… Read More »Net Paper: ATLAS Again
MetSoc 2025 continues (see Day 1). We have another packed schedule, here’s another cull of my more asteroid-relevant items: https://www.hou.usra.edu/meetings/metsoc2025/technical_program/ Tuesday, July 15, 2025 Carbonaceous Chondrites and Chondritic Components 1 Patkar A. et al.Invited Presentation: Distribution of Water Concentrations in… Read More »Meteoritical Society Meeting 2025, Day 2
I don’t like to give arXiv.org a free pass, since it doesn’t work to the same standards as a peer-reviewed journal. But interstellar object 3I/ATLAS is moving fast, too fast for the independent review process to function. So if we… Read More »Net Paper: 3I/ATLAS Traffic
Courtesy of Planetary Science News: NEO SURVEYOR MOVING OBJECT SCIENTIST AT IPAC The Infrared Processing and Analysis Center (IPAC) at Caltech invites applications for the position of Moving Object Scientist for the NEO Surveyor Survey Data System (NSDS). IPAC is… Read More »NEOSM Listing
It’s official and it’s named. The object, provisionally designated A11pl3Z, showed ‘fuzziness’ (nebulosity, likely from activity) and was then given the comet designation C/2025 N1. Official discovery credit goes to the ATLAS network, Chile site (Rio Hurtado)- hence, the third designation.… Read More »Interstellar Object 3I/ATLAS
Okay, one more Rubin Observatory post: gizmodo.com/rubin-observatorys-stunning-result-proves-its-a-game-changer-for-spotting-dangerous-asteroids-2000621581 I’ve already posted that the Vera Rubin Observatory will be– and now demonstrates it is– the new and undisputed champion of asteroid discovery. Let the conspiracy theory nuts take heed: NASA is not… Read More »Vera Rubin Upstanding
See also: Day 1 The 33rd meeting of the Small Bodies Assessment Group continues. This is a somewhat shorter SBAG meeting than usual. Given the upheaval of January/February, and the budget/regulatory risk, funding could not be confidently assigned for Early… Read More »Summer 2025 SBAG Meeting, Day 2
Clearly, no shortage of press about the Vera Rubin Observatory, but: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/23/science/rubin-telescope-asteroids.htmKenneth Chang Jun 23 Vera Rubin Telescope Quickly Found 1,200 New Asteroids …this one’s of particular relevance here. There was a Times story on Vera Rubin in general, and… Read More »Vera Rubin Upholding
The press conference for the first release of images from the NSF-DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory just wrapped. Granted, the embargo lifted at midnight this morning, so news outlets already posted their stories with the two ‘glamour shots’. Still, there… Read More »Vera Rubin Release: M49, Trifid/Lagoon