[meteorite-list] A Super Success Story

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From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Thu Apr 22 10:31:19 2004
Message-ID: <139.2a9472a3.2d4e7aaa_at_aol.com>

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Hi esteemed fellow Space Rock Hounds !

This article was picked up from TUCSON on space.com a couple of days ago, an=
d=20
it appears to have fell though the cracks of the list. Can't have that. =20
With all the incredible science going on at Mars, Stardust, Cassini, and bey=
ond=20
the heliopause... =20

But this, a modern day Clyde Tombaugh moment enjoyed by a Tucson retiree wit=
h=20
some time on his hands - he could have been one of us (and maybe is), it wit=
h=20
his two home PC's comfortably at home in TUCSON !!! =20

Retired Stu Megan of Tucson is a true meteoroid hunter. Maybe it is=20
achondrite (well, it is an Apollo class). Its orbit was determined and conf=
irmed and=20
the rock has been submitted under the name of 2004 BV18. His discovery weig=
hs=20
25 to 50 million kilograms. A metric ton is more than the weight of an=20
original Volkswagen Beetle, but less than VW's "New Beetle". Lots of BIG ro=
cks=20
out there, eh ?

Try your hand ... You don't have to be from Tucson, or even from North=20
America to participate: Everyone is invited to do some real discovery of FM=
O's=20
(Fast moving objects) in this program right from their own keyboard, really!=
=20
Hurry up ! It should be a healthy national competition. (Thanks to a grant=
from=20
Paul Allen of Microsoft and all Microsoft users):

http://fmo.lpl.arizona.edu/FMO_home/index.cfm =20

Saludos
Doug Dawn
M=E9xico

January 29

Man Discovers Asteroid in Internet Photo

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- A volunteer in an astronomy project scrolled through=20
thousands of telescope images on the Internet and discovered an asteroid by=20
noticing its telltale streaks.

Stu Megan, a semiretired computer specialist, reviews online images for the=20
University of Arizona's Spacewatch program. He has pored over more than 6,50=
0=20
images since the project went public in October.

The program allows volunteers to spot fast-moving space objects, or FMOs, by=
=20
logging onto a Web site and downloading images taken by telescopes at Kitt=20
Peak National Observatory, 56 miles southwest of Tucson.=20

Megan spotted the asteroid -- now known as 2004 BV18 -- earlier this month.=20
It is the first one discovered by a Spacewatch volunteer to be confirmed by=20=
the=20
Minor Planet Center, the official body that deals with such observations.

"I think it's really cool," Megan said. "I've got all this time to spare.=20
Plus, I can multi-task. I've got two computers."

The asteroid missed the Earth by 1.2 million miles, but it wouldn't have don=
e=20
much more than offer a pretty light show even if it had been aimed directly=20
at us, said Robert McMillan, who directs Spacewatch. At an estimated size of=
60=20
feet by 120 feet, the asteroid would have burned up as it coursed through=20
Earth's upper atmosphere, he said.

Spacewatch primarily studies the movement of asteroids and comets. Volunteer=
s=20
fill an important niche, McMillan said, while researchers at the University=20
of Arizona and automated computers track larger objects in space.

One of the program's major goals is to search for objects that could become=20
potential destinations for spacecraft missions, while another lies in=20
identifying asteroids larger than a kilometer in diameter heading toward Ear=
th.

An impact by an asteroid that size could cause a global catastrophe.

-- Associated Press

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<HTML><HTML>Hi esteemed fellow=
Space Rock Hounds ! 
 
This article was picked up from TUCSON on space.com a couple of days ago, an=
d it appears to have fell though the cracks of the list.  Can't have th=
at.  With all the incredible science going on at Mars, Stardust, Cassin=
i, and beyond the heliopause...  
 
But this, a modern day Clyde Tombaugh moment enjoyed by a Tucson retiree wit=
h some time on his hands - he could have been one of us (and maybe is), it w=
ith his two home PC's comfortably at home in TUCSON !!!  
 
Retired Stu Megan of Tucson is a true meteoroid hunter.  Maybe it is ac=
hondrite (well, it is an Apollo class).  Its orbit was determined and c=
onfirmed and the rock has been submitted under the name of 2004 BV18. =
His discovery weighs 25 to 50 million kilograms.   <FON=
T COLOR=3D"#333333" BACK=3D"#ffffff" style=3D"BACKGROUND-COLOR: #ffffff" SI=
ZE=3D2 PTSIZE=3D10 FAMILY=3D"SANSSERIF" FACE=3D"Arial" LANG=3D"0">A metric t=
on is more than the weight of an original Volkswagen Beetle, but less than V=
W's "New Beetle".  Lots of BIG rocks out there, eh ? 
 
Try your hand ... You don't have to be from Tucson, or even from North Ameri=
ca to participate:  Everyone is invited to do some real discovery of FM=
O's (Fast moving objects) in this program right from their own keyboard, rea=
lly!  Hurry up !  It should be a healthy national competition.&nbs=
p; (Thanks to a grant from Paul Allen of Microsoft and all Microsoft users):=
 
 
<A HREF=3D"http://fmo.lpl.arizona.edu/FMO_home/index.cfm">http://fmo.lpl.ari=
zona.edu/FMO_home/index.cfm</A> 
 
Saludos 
Doug Dawn 
M=E9xico 
 
January 29 
 
Man Discovers Asteroid in Internet Photo 
 
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- A volunteer in an astronomy project scrolled through t=
housands of telescope images on the Internet and discovered an asteroid by n=
oticing its telltale streaks. 
 
Stu Megan, a semiretired computer specialist, reviews online images for the=20=
University of Arizona's Spacewatch program. He has pored over more than 6,50=
0 images since the project went public in October. 
 
The program allows volunteers to spot fast-moving space objects, or FMOs, by=
logging onto a Web site and downloading images taken by telescopes at Kitt=20=
Peak National Observatory, 56 miles southwest of Tucson. 
 
Megan spotted the asteroid -- now known as 2004 BV18 -- earlier this month.=20=
It is the first one discovered by a Spacewatch volunteer to be confirmed by=20=
the Minor Planet Center, the official body that deals with such observations=
. 
 
"I think it's really cool," Megan said. "I've got all this time to spare. Pl=
us, I can multi-task. I've got two computers." 
 
The asteroid missed the Earth by 1.2 million miles, but it wouldn't have don=
e much more than offer a pretty light show even if it had been aimed directl=
y at us, said Robert McMillan, who directs Spacewatch. At an estimated size=20=
of 60 feet by 120 feet, the asteroid would have burned up as it coursed thro=
ugh Earth's upper atmosphere, he said. 
 
Spacewatch primarily studies the movement of asteroids and comets. Volunteer=
s fill an important niche, McMillan said, while researchers at the Universit=
y of Arizona and automated computers track larger objects in space. 
 
One of the program's major goals is to search for objects that could become=20=
potential destinations for spacecraft missions, while another lies in identi=
fying asteroids larger than a kilometer in diameter heading toward Earth.<BR=
>
 
An impact by an asteroid that size could cause a global catastrophe. 
 
-- Associated Press 
 
 
 
 
 
</HTML>
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Received on Sun 01 Feb 2004 10:52:10 AM PST

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