Starry Night

2012 Skywatching Guide: Brightest Asteroids of the Year

News
By Geoff Gaherty
published

Asteroid 2005 YU55 Students
This image of asteroid 2005 YU55 was captured on the night of Nov. 8, 2011, by the 25-inch telescope at the Clay Center Observatory in Brookline, Mass. The asteroid is the bright white dot near left-center; the white streaks are stars, which appear to move because the telescope is tracking the fast-moving 2005 YU55. (Image credit: Clay Center Observatory at Dexter and Southfield Schools)

Skywatchers are in for a treat this year if they look up at some of the brightest asteroids in view. Here's a skywatching guide to help you plan your targets.

The following asteroids are expected to become brighter than magnitude 9 and more than 90 degrees from the sun during 2012.

The following asteroids are expected to become brighter than magnitude 9 and more than 90 degrees from the sun during 2012. (Image credit: Geoff Gaherty)

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Geoff Gaherty
Geoff Gaherty
Starry Night Sky Columnist

Geoff Gaherty was Space.com's Night Sky columnist and in partnership with Starry Night software and a dedicated amateur astronomer who sought to share the wonders of the night sky with the world. Based in Canada, Geoff studied mathematics and physics at McGill University and earned a Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of Toronto, all while pursuing a passion for the night sky and serving as an astronomy communicator. He credited a partial solar eclipse observed in 1946 (at age 5) and his 1957 sighting of the Comet Arend-Roland as a teenager for sparking his interest in amateur astronomy. In 2008, Geoff won the Chant Medal from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, an award given to a Canadian amateur astronomer in recognition of their lifetime achievements. Sadly, Geoff passed away July 7, 2016 due to complications from a kidney transplant, but his legacy continues at Starry Night.