NEO Asteroid 3122 Florence

Annimation created by Pip Stakkert from 10x 1 second still images taken using the Jodrell Plank Observatory's 127 mm.Meade refractor - x 0.8 reducer and field flattener - Canon 600D DSLR at ISO6400 - Annimation shows aproximately 20 minutes real time movement of near earth orbit ASTEROID FLORENCE - images taken between 00:56 and 1:16 0n 02-09-2017

"The weather remains mixed at the Jodrell Plank Observatory but the team were very anxious to try and image the Near Earth Object - Asteroid 3122 Florence - as it moved quickly up from our southern horizon into the constellation Delphinus the Dolphin.  In the event, the sky cleared for a couple of hours after midnight so we were able to take some rough and ready images. Asteroid Florence is approximately 4.5 kilometers in diameter - about the size of Everest- and radar has recently discovered that it has two tiny moons. 

When the above images were captured, the asteroid was travelling at 13.5 km /second and was at a distance of 7.1 million km from Earth. In astronomic terms this was a very near miss indeed. It does, however, give you some idea of how very empty space is!"

Kurt Thrust current Director of the Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Inverted and enlarged image showing position of the asteroid within a reduced star field

" Near Earth Objects present a real and present danger to our planet and for this reason alone we need to keep a careful watch on them.  An asteroid, travelling 13 and a half times faster than the speed of a bullet fired from a rifle and the size of Cambridge, hitting Earth would hurt.  Not good". Ronald Clump CEO - Jodrell Plank Observatory.

Square black dot shows the location of Asteroid Florence at 0:56 BST on 02-09-2017 : Credit SkyMap Pro 9

Enlarged time lapse annimation 20 minutes real time