One more post for today – an observing challenge for you all.
Asteroid 57424 (think of the number as a date) has now been named Caelumnoctu in honour of the Sky at Night (we weren’t allowed skyatnight as it isn’t a real word). It’s a main belt asteroid, orbiting the Sun once every 5 years or so, and I would love an image of it. I think it’s near conjunction (behind the Sun) right now, but I’ll find a prize for the first astrophotographer to send me one.
Jane Houston Jones on April 27, 2007
You can get the details and an orbital diagram of 54724 Caelumnoctu on the JPL Small-Body Database Browser.
http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi#top Type 57424 Caelumnoctu in the search field. Then read all about the orbital elements, and even create your own orbit diagram.