Record breaking pass

[d_day 341]

An asteroid passed just 250 miles from earth on Friday the 13th. 
 

https://www.sciencealert.com/earth-just-had-a-record-close-shave-with-a-house-sized-asteroid?fbclid=IwAR3vd1MWdx0mAVb-2oe0tieDGfombSxKknC6LdHvmuyGGhtVQcM-RLYgY1M

[billpeters 388]

I saw that article about the close pass and also on Spaceweather.com of Asteroid 2020 VT4. It would have been about 10.9+ magnitude for about half an hour over Phoenix and even brighter over the Pacific where it was the closest. The past few nights I have been watching Asteroid 8 Flora 78 miles across at 8.2+ magnitude moving slowly through Cetus.  I have also been watching in my binocs Comet 2020 Atlas M3 moving northwards at a good pace past the right belt star of Orion to past the right shoulder star Bellatrix. It has been fading to 8.4+ magnitude. Early morning Comet 2020 Erasmus M3 has brightened to 7.3+ in Corvus and will be brighter than 4.9+ by December 12 as it moves into the after sunset evening sky. I am looking forward to seeing it.  I have been also watching the fairly disappointing Taurid and Leonid meteor showers this month. My lifetime count is now 21,729. I am looking forward to the always excellent Geminids on the night of December 13/14.  Check out  http://astro.vanbuitenen.nl/asteroids

I have been doing grid searches for a main mass meteorite in the basalt volcanic plains within the region well north of Tabletop Mountain with no luck.  However, I have found three significant Hohokam sites of laid out rock patterns containing a maze, two rainbows, mosaics, lined trails, mounds and lookouts with accompanying pottery and a 400 lb pestle style metate.

Stay Covid safe,

billpeters

[chrisski 846]

Bill--Sounds exciting.  Living the dream.  Keep it up.