The extraordinary object A/2017 U1 just traveling in our Solar System: a new, extreme image (27 Oct. 2017)
We did some follow-up observations of the extraordinary object A/2017 U1, right now quickly traveling across the inner Solar System on an hyperbolic orbit, coming from the interstellar space. It was a very difficult observation, but we captured this special visitor.
The object A/2017 U1 – 27 Oct. 2017
The image above is an extreme one. It comes from the average of 25, 180-seconds exposures, unfiltered, remotely taken with the 16″-f/3.75 Tenagra III (“Pearl”) robotic unit part of Tenagra Observatories in Arizona. It shows A/2017 U1 as an extremely faint point of light, at the expected position. The telescope tracked the apparent motion of the object across the stars. We measured a magnitude of 22.5/22.9, really deep for a 16″ telescope. This was possible thanks to the exceptional sky at the observing site.
The Minor Planet Center issued its electronic circular MPEC 2017-U234, including our astrometry from our previous observation of this object. So, we contributed to the understanding of this exceptional visitor coming from outside the Solar System.
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