We have a very favourable opportunity, the best for several years, to see a bright near-Earth asteroid as it approaches to within 1.4 lunar distances (535,000 km) of the Earth (closest on 2008 Jan 29 08:33 UT). 

This object, discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey on 2007 October 11, is between 200 and 500 meters in diameter and is most favourably placed for observation from the UK on the night of Tuesday Jan 29/30 when it will reach magnitude 10.

The object, designated 2007 TU24, has an orbital period of 2.85 yr but its axial rotation period and lightcurve amplitude are currently unknown.

Below are ephemerides suitable for observation from the UK.  Alternatively for your local ephemerides, visit the Minor Planet Center at: http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/MPEph/MPEph.html

Please report observations to Roger Dymock, Director of the BAA Asteroids and Remote Planets Section (ARPS).

Richard Miles
Assistant Director, ARPS, BAA

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Asteroid 2007 TU24

            Ephemeris for J77 (50.9deg N, 2.4 deg W)

Date     UT      RA       Dec      Delta    r     Elong  Ph.A   V    app.
motion  Az.  Alt
      hh:mm  hh mm ss   dd mm.m     AU     AU     deg   deg   mag   "/min   P.A.  deg  deg

Jan 29 17:00  07 20 00  +72 33.4   0.0041  0.987  124.1  55.7  10.3  164.3  096   207  +48
Jan 29 18:00  07 54 34  +72 06.1   0.0042  0.987  125.4  54.4  10.3  154.9  104   208  +50
Jan 29 19:00  08 25 00  +71 20.1   0.0043  0.988  126.5  53.3  10.3  145.7  112   210  +52
Jan 29 20:00  08 51 04  +70 20.8   0.0045  0.988  127.6  52.2  10.3  136.9  118   212  +54
Jan 29 21:00  09 13 03  +69 12.5   0.0046  0.988  128.6  51.2  10.4  128.7  124   214  +58
Jan 29 22:00  09 31 27  +67 58.8   0.0047  0.988  129.5  50.3  10.4  121.0  129   215  +62
Jan 29 23:00  09 46 52  +66 42.2   0.0049  0.988  130.3  49.5  10.5  114.1  133   215  +66
Jan 30 00:00  09 59 50  +65 24.3   0.0050  0.988  131.0  48.8  10.5  107.7  136   211  +71
Jan 30 01:00  10 10 50  +64 06.6   0.0052  0.988  131.7  48.1  10.5  102.0  139   200  +75
Jan 30 02:00  10 20 13  +62 49.7   0.0053  0.989  132.3  47.5  10.6   96.8  142   177  +78
Jan 30 03:00  10 28 19  +61 34.5   0.0055  0.989  132.8  46.9  10.6   92.0  144   150  +77

Jan 30 18:00  11 27 50  +47 53.3   0.0083  0.991  136.0  43.7  11.5   40.5  150   210  +16
Jan 30 20:00  11 31 27  +46 46.5   0.0087  0.991  136.0  43.6  11.6   35.9  152   227  +26
Jan 30 22:00  11 34 22  +45 45.8   0.0091  0.992  136.1  43.6  11.6   32.2  155   244  +41
Jan 31 00:00  11 36 42  +44 49.4   0.0095  0.992  136.1  43.5  11.7   29.5  158   262  +58
Jan 31 02:00  11 38 37  +43 56.2   0.010   0.992  136.2  43.4  11.8   27.6  160   293  +76

M.P.E.C. 2008-B17                                Issued 2008 Jan. 19, 07:10 UT