European astronomers Discover Most Faint Asteroid

Astronomy Science ~ Europe Expert has seen one of the most faint asteroid ever found - a chunk of space rock estimated diameter of about 10...

Astronomy Science ~ Europe Expert has seen one of the most faint asteroid ever found - a chunk of space rock estimated diameter of about 100 m beyond the orbit of Mars.

Astronomers at the Large Binocular Telescope in Arizona, USA, saw 2014 KC46. Observations were difficult, almost reached the limits of the ability of a telescope, carried out through a new collaboration between teams telescopes Italy and Coordination Center ESA Near-Earth Object (NEO) near Rome.

Observations mark 'recovery' asteroid - it has been seen before but then disappeared. Telescope operated by a group of agencies including the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, see this object - as wide as a football field - outside the orbit of Mars.

Asteroid 2014 KC46 rediscovered by a new collaboration between teams telescopes Italy and Coordination Center ESA Near-Earth Object (NEO)

The position measurement is accurate enough to repair the orbital path and eliminate the possibility of these asteroids hit the Earth in the near future.

The orbit of asteroid 2014 KC46

"This success confirms the importance of rapid response and cooperation of the entire community of asteroids in orbit to verify the NEO," said Detlef Koschny, Head of NEO ESA. "It also proves the effectiveness of the telescope to detect fainter objects of unknown size and orbits." This measurement has been accepted by the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center, the organization responsible for collecting data of small objects of the Solar System.