2018 CN2
 The orbit before and after flyby, with positions on 1 February 2018, before flyby | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Mount Lemmon Srvy. |
| Discovery site | Mount Lemon Obs. |
| Discovery date | 8 February 2018 (first observed only) |
| Designations | |
| 2018 CN2 | |
| NEO·Apollo[1][2] Earth-andMars crosser | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch23 March 2018 (JD2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter7 | |
| Observation arc | 1 day |
| Aphelion | 1.7740AU |
| Perihelion | 0.6335 AU |
| 1.2037 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.4738 |
| 1.32yr(482 days) | |
| 348.58° | |
| 0° 44m46.68s/ day | |
| Inclination | 25.741° |
| 320.21° | |
| 276.55° | |
| EarthMOID | 7.7×10−5AU(0.03LD) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 5–16 m[3] 9 m(est. at0.20)[4] 17 m(est. at0.057)[4] | |
| 27.653[2] | |
2018 CN2is a very smallasteroid,classified as anear-Earth objectof theApollo group,approximately 5 to 16 meters in diameter. It was first observed by astronomers of theMount Lemmon SurveyatMount Lemmon Observatory,Arizona, on 8 February 2018, one day prior its close encounter with Earth at 0.18lunar distances.[1]
Orbit and classification
[edit]2018 CN2is a member of theApollo asteroids,whichcross the orbit of Earth.Apollo's are the largest group ofnear-Earth objectswith nearly 10 thousand known objects.
Based on a high orbitaluncertainty,this asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.63–1.77AUonce every 16 months (482 days;semi-major axisof 1.20 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricityof 0.47 and aninclinationof 26°with respect to theecliptic.[2]With anaphelionof 1.77 AU, it is also aMars-crosser,as it crosses the orbit of the Red Planet at 1.666 AU. The body'sobservation arcbegins at Mount Lemmon with its first observation on 8 February 2018.[1]
Close encounters
[edit]The object has an exceptionally lowminimum orbital intersection distancewith Earth of 11,500 km (0.000077 AU), or 0.03lunar distances(LD).[2]
2018 flyby
[edit]On 9 February 2018,2018 CN2passed at a nominal distance of only 69,900 km; 43,400 mi (0.000466964 AU) from Earth at 7:25 UTC.[2]This corresponds to 0.18 LD. Based on the body's high orbital uncertainty, all subsequent close encounters in 2022, 2023, 2026, 2027 and 2031, are projected to occur at a distance of more than 15 million kilometers (0.1 AU; 39 LD).[2]
Physical characteristics
[edit]TheMinor Planet Centerestimates a diameter of 5–16 meters.[3]Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion,2018 CN2measures between 9 and 17 meters in diameter, for anabsolute magnitudeof 27.653, and an assumedalbedobetween 0.057 and 0.20, which represent typical values forcarbonaceousandstonyasteroids, respectively.[4]
As of 2018, no rotationallightcurveof2018 CN2has been obtained from photometric observations. The body'srotation period,poleand shape remain unknown.[2]
Numbering and naming
[edit]Thisminor planethas neither been numbered nornamed.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcde"2018 CN2".Minor Planet Center.Retrieved15 February2018.
- ^abcdefgh"JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 CN2)"(2018-02-09 last obs.).Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Retrieved15 February2018.
- ^abMinor Planet Center."2018 CN2".Twitter.Retrieved10 February2018.
- ^abc"Asteroid Size Estimator".CNEOS NASA/JPL.Retrieved15 February2018.
External links
[edit]
- MPEC MPEC 2018-C76: 2018 CN2,Minor Planet Electronic Circular,10 February 2018
- Asteroid 2018 CN2 close approach,International Asteroid Warning Network(IWAN)
- Asteroid 2018 CN2 flew past Earth at 0.18 LD, discovered one day before closest approach,The Watchers,11 February 2018
- 2018 CN2atNeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- 2018 CN2at theJPL Small-Body Database
