Astronomers say that a very small asteroid entered Earth’s atmosphere on January 2, 2014, after being discovered only one day before. They’ve labeled the object 2014 AA, because it’s the first asteroid to have been discovered this year. The Minor Planet Center announced that the asteroid struck Earth’s atmosphere at around 05:00 UTC on January 2. That’s around midnight, early morning on January 2 on the U.S. East. The asteroid – which is believed to have been from about 1 to 5 meters across – is thought to have burned up over the Atlantic Ocean, probably off the coast of western Africa.

This is only the second time ever that astronomers were able to spot an asteroid before it struck Earth’s atmosphere. The first time was in 2008, when the object known as 2008 TC3 burned up over Sudan in Africa. Like 2014 AA, that object was discovered just a day before it entered Earth’s atmosphere.

Astronomers with the Mount Lemmon Survey used a 60-inch (150 cm) telescope in Arizona to spot 2014 AA on January 1, 2014 at 6:20 UTC (1:20 a.m. EST). Other astronomers quickly confirmed its presence. A calculation of the asteroid’s orbit showed it was very close to Earth, and getting closer.

According to astronomer Pasquale Tricarico, the asteroid approached the Earth from its night side. However, he said, there are large uncertainties over the time and location of the atmospheric entry of this asteroid, because only 7 observations were made while the asteroid was still visible.

Calculations by astronomer Bill Gray show that it could have entered the atmosphere between Africa and Central America.

No harm done. But the event underscores the need to watch out for near-Earth asteroids.

Bottom line: A small asteroid – probably 1-5 meters across – probably burned up over the Atlantic Ocean around midnight on the morning of January 2, 2014. Astronomers have labeled it 2014 AA.

By Deborah Byrd in EarthSky
BLOGS | EARTH on Jan 02, 2014

Thanks to Jim and Wes for all your help with getting the SkyEye All Sky Cam on our website.  You guys are the best!

Following its Thanksgiving Day brush with solar fire, sundiving Comet ISON is now just a cloud of dust. Among experts, a consensus is building that the comet broke apart shortly before perihelion (closest approach to the sun).

After perihelion, the comet emerges as a diffuse remnant of its former self. No one knows for sure what is inside that fan-shaped cloud. Possibilities include a small remnant nucleus or a “rubble pile” of furiously vaporizing fragments. By the end of the day on Nov. 28th, Comet ISON was spent.

As of Dec. 2nd, the cloud of debris is no brighter than a star of approximately 8th magnitude. Experienced astrophotographers might be able to capture the comet’s fading “ghost” in the pre-dawn sky of early December, but a naked-eye spectacle is out of the question.

Spaceweather.com, December 2, 2013

Comet C/2012 S1 (ISON) ON STEREO HI1-A
Taken by Nunzio M. on December 3, 2013 @ Vieste(FG), Italy

Comet ISON is fading fast as it recedes from the sun. Whatever piece of the comet briefly survived its Thanksgiving Day brush with solar fire is now dissipating in a cloud of dust. Click to view a 3-day movie centered on perihelion (closest approach to the sun).

This development makes it unlikely that Comet ISON will put on a good show after it exits the glare of the sun in early December. Experienced astrophotographers might be able to capture the comet’s fading “ghost” in the pre-dawn sky, but a naked-eye spectacle is out of the question.

On Nov. 29th, pilot Brian Whittaker tried to catch a first glimpse of Comet ISON from Earth, post-perihelion, from a plane flying 36,000 feet over the Arctic Circle in northern Canada. No luck.

“Ideal viewing conditions from the Arctic revealed no Comet ISON,” reports Whittaker. “This negative report is to quench the thirst of other fellow dreamers under cloudy skies or further south. Later I could see that SOHO showed the comet dimming further.”

Despite Whittaker’s negative result, it is too soon to rule out observations from Earth as the twice-dead comet moves away from the glare of the sun. Meanwhile, NASA’s fleet of solar observatory will be tracking the remains. Stay tuned for more images.

Spaceweather.com

Dec. 1, 2013

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It appears Comet Ison may very well be cat-like.  Chunks of the nucleus have made it through the solar corona, re-emerged and are beginning to brighten.  I have  provided a link to read the entire story by CNN, updated 8:11 AM EST, Fri November 29, 2013

http://www.cnn.com/2013/11/29/us/ison-comet/

Karl Battams at NASA’s Comet ISON Observing Campaign – wrote on Twitter:

“Alright we’re calling it, and you heard it here first: We believe some small part of #ISON’s nucleus has SURVIVED perihelion. ”  As reported on Earthsky.org.

http://earthsky.org/space/big-sun-diving-comet-ison-might-be-spectacular-in-2013

It appears that Comet Ison has gotten too close to the sun and may have broken up.  Here is a link to the latest as reported by USA today:  http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/11/28/comet-ison-nasa/3776419/

“At this point, I do suspect that the comet has broken up and died,” says Karl Battams, a comet scientist for the Naval Research Laboratory, who joined a NASA and Google+ chat from Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona. “Let’s at least give it a couple of more hours before we start writing the obituary.”

Good morning and good news!  It looks like we will have another pier ready for lease in January of 2014 and again in March.  The lease price will be less than $1000 per month.  If you would like to have your name placed on the list contact us via email.

Hello all!  The guys have just about finished the second building.  We are now in the final stages of testing to be sure all aspects of remote observing are working correctly.  We should be ready for clients within 12 weeks.  This is a very exciting phase of the project.  Thanks to all who contributed to make it happen! :)  Skypi has some of the best seeing on the planet.

We spent last weekend on site. Despite the rain in the afternoons, we were able to stay on schedule.  The walls are up and now on to the rails.  Kevin will begin welding and getting them ready for install.  Check out the updated photos on the build page.