Observation by Grant Privett: Lunar impactor

Uploaded by

Grant Privett

Observer

Grant Privett

Observed

2026 May 10 - 22:00

Uploaded

2026 May 12 - 19:47

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Constellation

Leo Minor

Field centre

RA: 10^h27^m
Dec: +37°17'
Position angle: +0°12'

Field size

0°10' × 0°08'

Equipment

SX Trius 694
C14 + f/6.3 reducer

Exposure

65x 10s x1 bin

Location

Near Salisbury

Target name

2025-010D

Title

Lunar impactor

About this image

The Spacex rocket body - NORAD62719 - that is due to impact the Moon on 5th August. It was used to launch the Japanese Hakuto and US Blue Ghost probes.

It is surprisingly easy to image - mag 17.5 and brightening.

However, it is tumbling, so I did a maximum value stack and got the image shown. In some frames between the glints, it is essentially unseen.

Files associated with this observation

norad62719_maxstack.jpg (2.4 MB)

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Comments

Nick James, 2026 May 12 - 20:24 UTC

Nice observation. Did you get any astrometry?

Bill Gray, as usual, has a good page on this: https://www.projectpluto.com/25010d.htm

Grant Privett, 2026 May 12 - 20:32 UTC

Yeah. I binned the images x2 to get a 0.72arc sec pixel and then used Tycho-Tracker against it and that generated some.

I sent an MPC format file to Bill an hour or so ago.

Its very well placed for observation again tonight.

Nick James, 2026 May 12 - 21:55 UTC

I'm imaging it at the moment...

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