2024-02-08, 08:51 PM
Hi Greg,
If I understood Arushi correctly, he already did the download of the PHAs from the MPC. There are several thousand NEOs on the PHA list, so it's pretty unwieldy to work with every night. I'd recommend downloading the MPC's list of "NEO's at Today's Epoch" data file and use the osculating elements from that data file. The DBPS search will then find any of the PHAs, since all PHAs are also NEOs. I don't know how often the elements are updated in the PHA data file.
Depending on Arushi's magnitude limit, he can select the parameters for the DBPS. For starters, I recommend a search for all NEOs within 0.05 AU, 2 days in the future. Depending on the phase of the moon, the DBPS should return 15-50 NEOs within 0.05 AU. He can display each NEO in the Interactive Atlas (IA) to determine its location in the sky & its apparent motion. An ephemeris calculation would be even better.
He can also check the CNEOS website at: NEO Earth Close Approaches (nasa.gov)
and the MPC website at: IAU Minor Planet Center
Another website with good information about NEOs is: NEO Approaches | astro.vanbuitenen.nl
Hope this helps,
Phil S.
If I understood Arushi correctly, he already did the download of the PHAs from the MPC. There are several thousand NEOs on the PHA list, so it's pretty unwieldy to work with every night. I'd recommend downloading the MPC's list of "NEO's at Today's Epoch" data file and use the osculating elements from that data file. The DBPS search will then find any of the PHAs, since all PHAs are also NEOs. I don't know how often the elements are updated in the PHA data file.
Depending on Arushi's magnitude limit, he can select the parameters for the DBPS. For starters, I recommend a search for all NEOs within 0.05 AU, 2 days in the future. Depending on the phase of the moon, the DBPS should return 15-50 NEOs within 0.05 AU. He can display each NEO in the Interactive Atlas (IA) to determine its location in the sky & its apparent motion. An ephemeris calculation would be even better.
He can also check the CNEOS website at: NEO Earth Close Approaches (nasa.gov)
and the MPC website at: IAU Minor Planet Center
Another website with good information about NEOs is: NEO Approaches | astro.vanbuitenen.nl
Hope this helps,
Phil S.