Skywarden

Contact information

Skywarden,
Ursa Astronomical Association
Kopernikuksentie 1
00130 Helsinki
taivaanvahti(at)ursa.fi

Ursa Astronomical Association

(2212) Hephaistos - 21.1.2023 at 03.49 - 21.1.2023 at 04.10 Orimattila, Artjärvi, Tähtikallio Observation number 111726

Visibility III / V

Kari Laihia, Toni Veikkolainen, Porin Karhunvartijat

(2212) Hephaistos (1978 SB) The Apollo/NEO asteroid was imaged on the first evening of the 2023 January talcos. The asteroid of the Hephaistos group was discovered by the Soviet Ukrainian astronomer Nikolai Stepanovich Chernykh at the Crimean Nauchi (095 – Crimea-Nauchnij) observatory on September 27, 1978. The target has been found as a 12.5mag target. The asteroid got its name from Hephaistos, the blacksmith god of Greek mythology. Hephaestus forged all the weapons of the Olympos gods, he was also banished from Mount Olympos because of his lameness. Source Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hephaestus . Members of the Hephaestus group pass close by the inner planets. Other members of the group include e.g. (85182) 1991 AQ , 4486 Mithra and D/1766 G1 (Helfenzrieder). Source Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2212_Hephaistos . The asteroid has a size of 5.7 km and a rotation speed of 48 h/r, Spectral class spec_T=>SG. When photographing, the asteroid was at a distance of 0.2385au and at its closest on January 18, 2023 at 0.23300au. The description time is too long for this object, the measurement was made from the ends of Viiru, so it is uncertain.

1Fig. first image of the series L120s measured, 2023-01-21T 01:48:55UT 2459965.57563JDUT 17h19m25.47s +24d35'22.0" 16.255mag Std Dev 249.939 SNR27.669 FWHM7.701" ,JPL Horizon 01:48:589m +99m 24d35'24.7" 14.062mag .

2Fig. last image of series L120s measured, 2023-01-21T 02:09:37UT 2459965.59001JDUT 17h19m39.51s +24d32'49.4" 16.407mag Std Dev 262.928 SNR47.835 FWHM5.931" , JPL Horizon 02:09.38h39m +24d32'49.4" 24d32'59.1" 14.062mag .

3Fig. sum picture L120s 1-11 from a stack of pictures, very fast movement is visible. There are no other asteroids under 24.0 mag in the picture.

TYC 2078-1473-1 12.26 mag star used for brightness measurement calibration.


Additional information
  • Observation target
    • Asteroid
  • Name of the observation target
    • (2212) Hephaistos
  • Seeing
    • Average
Technical information

Alluna RC16, C415/3320, Moravian G4-16000EC MkII, filter L, bin3 11 x 120s

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