[Neocp_artsats] CC4G8Y2 = 1967-040 junk

Bill Gray pluto at projectpluto.com
Thu Oct 24 20:33:23 EDT 2024


    This is a very small (H ~ 34.1) piece of junk in the same orbit as 
1967-040F = Vela booster and an unidentified bit we started tracking 
about four years ago as ZTF0EWD,  but which eventually got the official 
designation 1967-040G :

https://www.projectpluto.com/pluto/mpecs/ztf0ewd.htm

    Also sharing this orbit is CAVTAK2,  found a month ago :

https://projectpluto.com/pipermail/neocp_junk_projectpluto.com/2024-September/000086.html

    These bits and bobs don't get very far from each other,  but are 
definitely distinct objects.  We have :

1967-040F = Vela booster,  H=30.4;  surveys get this routinely
1967-040G = ZTF0EWD,  H=32.7;  picked up September 2022, 2023, 2024
CAVTAK2, H=35.0;  tracked on 2024 Sep 24
CC4G8Y2, H=34.1;  tracked on 2024 Oct 24

    Note that ZTF0EWD is more than two magnitudes fainter than (and 
presumably much smaller than) the Vela booster,  and that the two "new" 
guys are smaller still.  H=35.0 would correspond to a diameter of about 
26 cm for a rock with albedo 0.25.

    The three small guys could be any of 1967-040C, D,  or E;  neither 
has really been tracked in a long time.  No idea which is which.

-- Bill



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