2018 CN2

2018 CN2
The orbit before and after flyby, with positions on 1 February 2018, before flyby
Discovery
Discovered byMount Lemmon Srvy.
Discovery siteMount Lemon Obs.
Discovery date8 February 2018
(first observed only)
Designations
NEO · Apollo
Earth- and Mars crosser
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 7
Observation arc1 day
Aphelion1.7740 AU
Perihelion0.6335 AU
1.2037 AU
Eccentricity0.4738
1.32 yr (482 days)
348.58°
0° 44m 46.68s / day
Inclination25.741°
320.21°
276.55°
Earth MOID7.7×10−5 AU (0.03 LD)
Physical characteristics
5–16 m
9 m (est. at 0.20)
17 m (est. at 0.057)
27.653

2018 CN2 is a very small asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 5 to 16 meters in diameter. It was first observed by astronomers of the Mount Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, on 8 February 2018, one day prior its close encounter with Earth at 0.18 lunar distances.

Orbit and classification

2018 CN2 is a member of the Apollo asteroids, which cross the orbit of Earth. Apollo's are the largest group of near-Earth objects with nearly 10 thousand known objects.

Based on a high orbital uncertainty, this asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.63–1.77 AU once every 16 months (482 days; semi-major axis of 1.20 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.47 and an inclination of 26° with respect to the ecliptic. With an aphelion of 1.77 AU, it is also a Mars-crosser, as it crosses the orbit of the Red Planet at 1.666 AU. The body's observation arc begins at Mount Lemmon with its first observation on 8 February 2018.

Close encounters

The object has an exceptionally low minimum orbital intersection distance with Earth of 11,500 km (0.000077 AU), or 0.03 lunar distances (LD).

2018 flyby

On 9 February 2018, 2018 CN2 passed at a nominal distance of only 69,900 km; 43,400 mi (0.000466964 AU) from Earth at 7:25 UTC. 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).

2018 flyby: Its path across the sky on 9 February was north to south (15 minute positions shown) (left). Seen from space, it passes just outside geosynchronous orbit (right).

Physical characteristics

The Minor Planet Center estimates a diameter of 5–16 meters. Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, 2018 CN2 measures between 9 and 17 meters in diameter, for an absolute magnitude of 27.653, and an assumed albedo between 0.057 and 0.20, which represent typical values for carbonaceous and stony asteroids, respectively.

As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of 2018 CN2 has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.

Numbering and naming

This minor planet has neither been numbered nor named.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 "2018 CN2". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 CN2)" (2018-02-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  3. 1 2 Minor Planet Center. "2018 CN2". Twitter. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  4. 1 2 3 "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 15 February 2018.