News Flash: Asteroid Flying Past Earth Today Has Mini-Moon!
Wonderful news! Asteroid 2004 BL86, which passed closest to Earth today at a distance of 750,000 miles (1.2 million km), has a companion moon. Scientists working with NASA’s 230-foot-wide (70-meter) Deep Space Network antenna at Goldstone, California, have released the first radar images of the asteroid which show the tiny object in orbit about the main body.
While these are the first images of it, the “signature” of the satellite was seen in light curve data reported earlier by Joseph Pollock (Appalachian State University, North Carolina) and Petr Prave (Ondrejov Observatory, Czech Republic) according to Lance Benner who works with the radar team at Goldstone.
2004 BL86 measures about 1,100 feet (325 meters) across while its moon is approximately 230 feet (70 meters) across. The asteroid made its closest approach today (Jan. 26th) at 10:19 a.m. (CST), however it will peak in brightness this evening around 10 p.m. (4:00 UT) at magnitude +9.0. Unlike some flybys, 2004 BL86 will remain within a few tenths of a magnitude of peak brightness from 6 p.m. tonight (CST) through early tomorrow morning, so don’t miss the chance to see it in your telescope.
Don’t expect to see the diminutive moon visually – the entire system will only appear as a point of light, but I’m sure you’ll agree it’s cool just knowing it’s there.
http://www.universetoday.com/118505/news-flash-asteroid-flying-past-earth-today-has-mini-moon/
= new reply since forum marked as read
BRRRRRZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZPP
Hrrrrmmmmm, wrong vaporizer.
It is designated the Illudium PU-36 Explosive Space Modulator. Isn't that right K-9?
This is what we saw:
Of course after a few beers
We all need companions! 
So I was out at the coast (Sonoma county, CA) that evening when some people were staring out, wandering what they were looking at. Plane or planet? Well the thing wasn't behaving like either, watched it for a long time, took some pix with my cell phone, it was down near the horizon though not real low but I think it was magnified by the horizon effect.
When I got home I googled to see what it could have been. Zoomed in on the picture and the little moon is there too, amazing. This was Sunday evening. Tried to see it yesterday, was supposed to be better viewing, but it was cloudy here yesterday.
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A 325 meter ice rock has the mass to hold a moon....riiiight...
made me laugh...
here's hoping you took my post for what it was...
