Observation by Terry Evans: 6478 Gault with debris tail

Uploaded by

Terry Evans

Observer

Terry Evans

Observed

2019 Jan 16 - 15:30

Uploaded

2019 Jan 17 - 12:43

Objects

6478 Gault

Equipment
  • Moravian G4-16000
  • Orion Optics AG12
  • Paramount ME
Exposure

12*300s

Location

Warrumbungle Observatory, Coonabarabran, NSW

Target name

6478 Gault

Title

6478 Gault with debris tail

About this image

Main belt asteroid 6478 Gault has developed a tail making it look like a comet.  It's likely that it was hit by another smaller asteroid in November 2018 and the tails is the debris left behind by the collision. The asteroid is still very faint - around magnitude 18.

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