2006 RH120
2006 RH120 is a tiny near-Earth asteroid and fast rotator with a diameter of approximately 2–3 meters that ordinarily orbits the Sun but makes close approaches to the Earth–Moon system around every twenty years, when it can temporarily enter Earth orbit through temporary satellite capture (TSC). Most recently, it was in Earth orbit from July 2006 to July 2007, during which time it was never more than 0.0116 AU (1.74 million km) from Earth. As a consequence of its temporary orbit around the Earth, it is currently the second smallest asteroid in the Solar System with a well-known orbit, after 2021 GM1. Until given a minor planet designation on 18 February 2008, the object was known as 6R10DB9, an internal identification number assigned by the Catalina Sky Survey.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Catalina Sky Survey (Eric Christensen) |
| Discovery date | 14 September 2006 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | 2006 RH120 |
Minor planet category |
|
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 1 | |
| Observation arc | 281 days |
| Aphelion | 1.058 AU (158.3 Gm) (Q) |
| Perihelion | 1.0078 AU (150.76 Gm) (q) |
Semi-major axis | 1.0331 AU (154.55 Gm) (a) |
| Eccentricity | 0.02452 (e) (Geocentric hyperbolic e=2500000) |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 1.05 yr |
Mean anomaly | 313.7° (M) |
| Inclination | 0.59486° (i) |
Longitude of ascending node | 51.18° (Ω) |
| ~2028-Nov-11 | |
| 10.060° (ω) | |
| Earth MOID | 0.01682 AU (2,516,000 km) |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.93 AU (588 Gm) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | ~2–3 m |
Synodic rotation period |
|
| 0.1 ? | |
| 30+ (until 2027) | |
| 29.5 | |