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]
Description
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]
References
↑ 1.01.11.21.31.41.51.6"2020 CW". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2020+CW. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
↑"Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/ast_size_est.html. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
↑ 4.04.1"ESA space situational awareness 2020CW". European Space Agency. http://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?tab=summary&des=2020CW.
↑Mack, Eric (4 February 2020). "Adorable asteroid 2020 CW makes one of the closest passes by Earth ever seen". CNET. https://www.cnet.com/news/adorable-asteroid-2020-cw-makes-one-of-the-closest-passes-by-earth-ever-seen/. "It was a harmless flyby for the record books."
↑"NEO Earth Close Approaches". Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/ca/. "Table Settings: All available data, Nominal dist. <= 1LD, no H limit, sort by CA Distance Nominal"
External links
List Of Apollo Minor Planets (by designation), Minor Planet Center
2020 CW at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
Ephemeris · Obs prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Obs info · Close · Physical info · NEOCC