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(meteorobs) Rob McNaught saves the world once again...
Rob, you may need to begin wearing a blue cape to work every day. :)
Lew Gramer
======= (Excerpted from CCNet, 8 Feb 2000)
(1) NEW OBSERVATIONS & ORBIT CALCULATIONS FOR ASTEROID 2000 BF19
>From Andrea Milani <milani@dm.unipidot it>
[as posted on the MPML mailing list, Feb. 8, 13.25 GMT]
I have recomputed the orbit of 2000BF19 taking into account both the
new observations [**]obtained by McNaught tonight[**] and the additional
data of observations on Feb. 1 and Feb. 5 which I received directly form
Jim Scotti.
The new orbit is far enough from the nominal, and in the right
direction, to allow to conclude that the previous 'virtual impactor'
is excluded. However, I will not announce a 'ceased alarm' until our
automatic close approach scan program has completed its run. This
because, as the orbit uncertainty decreases, some virtual impactors
become incompatible with the observations and can be ruled out, but
others increase their probability and could go above the threshold of
detection with our scan method. That is, I will not announce that it
is safe as long as there is the possibility that another virtual
impactor is discovered later. I hope people will not be too impatient
this time.
The scan started a few minutes ago and should take about 4 hours.
Then leave me a few hours to look at the output, also because I have
exams to do (they are the way I earn my living, I am a teacher,
asteroids are a kind of hobby). Moreover, I am not very keen about
working today, because my friend Paolo Farinella is undergoing heart
surgery now. You may rate my attitude as egoistic, being more
concerned about a friend who could die today than about a potential
disaster in 2022, but please take into account that if we now
understand something about how the asteroids came our way, including
that Eros of which so many are speaking, a lot of credit should go to
Paolo Farinella. All things considered, the new announcement should
be issued at around 9 PM European time.
Yours Andrea Milani
[...]
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