2004 FU162 is an Aten near-Earth asteroid less than 20 meters in diameter crudely estimated to have passed roughly 6500 km above the surface of Earth[b] on 31 March 2004.
| Designations | |
|---|---|
| 2004 FU162 | |
| Aten · NEO[1][2] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 5 April 2004 (JD 2453100.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 9 | |
| Observation arc | 44 minutes[2][a] (only 4 observations) |
| Aphelion | 1.1511 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.5026 AU |
| 0.8269 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.3922 |
| 0.75 yr (275 days) | |
| 262.67° | |
| 1° 18m 39.24s / day | |
| Inclination | 4.1647° |
| 191.25° | |
| 139.78° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.0001 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 4–12 meters (estimated) |
| 28.7[1] | |
It was only observed for 44 minutes on 31 March 2004,[a] by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) team at Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site in Socorro, New Mexico, and remains a lost asteroid.[2] The estimated 4 to 6 meter sized body made one of the closest known approaches to Earth.
Description
editOn 31 March 2004, around 15:35 UTC, the asteroid is crudely estimated to have passed within approximately 1 Earth radius (R🜨) or 6,400 kilometers of the surface of the Earth (or 2.02 R🜨 from Earth's center). But due to the very short observation arc, the uncertainty in the close approach distance is a large ±15000 km. By comparison, geostationary satellites orbit at 5.6 R🜨 and GPS satellites orbit at 3.17 R🜨 from the center of the Earth.
As of 2008[update] this was the third or fourth closest approach. The first observation of 2004 FU162 was not announced until 22 August 2004.
It was only observed four times in the space of 44 minutes and could not be followed up. Nevertheless, "the orbit is quite determinate and, given the exceptional nature of this close approach, the object is now receiving a designation".[3] No precovery images have been found.
2004 FU162 is estimated to be approximately 6 meters in diameter.[citation needed] This means that it would burn up from atmospheric friction before striking the ground in the case of an Earth impact.
On 26 March 2010, it may have come within 0.0825 AU (12.3 million km) of Earth,[4] but with an uncertainty parameter of 9,[1] the orbit is poorly determined.
Another, larger near-Earth asteroid, 2004 FH passed just two weeks prior to 2004 FU162.
A closer non-impacting approach to Earth was not known until 2008 TS26 on 9 October 2008.
See also
edit| Asteroid | Date | Distance from surface of Earth |
Uncertainty in approach distance |
Observation arc | Reference |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 VT4 | 2020-11-13 17:21 | 368 km | ±11 km | 5 days (34 obs) | data |
| 2020 QG | 2020-08-16 04:09 | 2939 km | ±11 km | 2 days (35 obs) | data |
| 2021 UA1 | 2021-10-25 03:07 | 3049 km | ±10 km | 1 day (22 obs) | data |
| 2023 BU | 2023-01-27 00:29 | 3589 km | ±<1 km | 10 days (231 obs) | data |
| 2011 CQ1 | 2011-02-04 19:39 | 5474 km | ±5 km | 1 day (35 obs) | data |
| 2019 UN13 | 2019-10-31 14:45 | 6235 km | ±189 km | 1 day (16 obs) | data |
| 2008 TS26 | 2008-10-09 03:30 | 6260 km | ±970 km | 1 day (19 obs) | data |
| 2004 FU162 | 2004-03-31 15:35 | 6535 km | ±13000 km | 1 day (4 obs) | data |
Notes
editReferences
edit- ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2004 FU162)" (last observation: 2004-03-31; arc: 1 day; uncertainty: 9). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ^ a b c d "2004 FU162". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
- ^ "Closest by far". hohmanntransfer. 22 August 2004. Archived from the original on 5 November 2016. Retrieved 25 August 2004.
- ^ Yeomans, Donald K. "Horizon Online Ephemeris System". California Institute of Technology, Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
External links
edit- MPEC 2004-Q22 (2004 Aug. 22)
- 2004 FU162 at the JPL Small-Body Database