Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | MLS |
Discovery site | Mount Lemon Obs. |
Discovery date | 1 February 2020 (first observed only) |
Designations | |
2020 CW | |
NEO · Apollo [1] [2] | |
Orbital characteristics [2] | |
Epoch 1 February 2020 ( JD 2458880.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 8 [2] · — [1] | |
Observation arc | 0 day |
Aphelion | 1.9980 AU |
Perihelion | 0.4769 AU |
1.2375 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.6146 |
1.38 yr (503 d) | |
322.21 ° | |
0° 42m 57.6s / day | |
Inclination | 2.1259° |
132.01° | |
110.66° | |
Earth MOID | 0.030 LD (0.000076 AU) |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 1.1 m (est at 0.14) [3] [4] |
32.5 [1] [2] 32.6 [4] | |
2020 CW is a tiny near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group, approximately 1 meter (3 ft) in diameter. It was first observed by the Mount Lemmon Survey on 1 February 2020, [1] when it passed Earth very closely at a nominal distance of only 0.041 lunar distances (0.000105 astronomical units). [2] The object's orbital elements remain highly uncertain. [1] [2]
2020 CW passed within 15,660 kilometres (9,730 mi) of the Earth on 1 February 2020, with a fly-by speed of 21.2 kilometres (13.2 mi) per second. [2] The household-appliance-sized asteroid passed within the orbit of satellites in the geostationary ring at 35,900 kilometres (22,300 mi) above Earth's equator. [5] At the time, it was the closest approach in the year 2020. Since then, 2020 JJ made a closer approach on 4 May 2020. [6]
The asteroid was first observed 1 February 2020 by the Mount Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory in the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson, Arizona. [1] The next encounter closer than the Moon is predicted to occur 5 February 2029 at a distance of 19,040 kilometres (11,830 mi) or more. [2]
It was a harmless flyby for the record books.
Table Settings: All available data, Nominal dist. <= 1LD, no H limit, sort by CA Distance Nominal