2018 PD20
2018 PD20 is a small asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 9–20 meters (30–66 feet) in diameter. On 11 August 2018, it was first observed by ATLAS at the Mauna Loa Observatory on Hawaii (T08), when it passed 33,500 kilometers (20,800 miles) from the Earth. This is notable because it came within a tenth of the lunar distance, or 0.10 LD which is closer to Earth than satellites in a geostationary orbit. These have an altitude of 0.11 LD, about 36,000 km (22,000 mi), approximately 3 times the width of the Earth.
Orbit and positions of 2018 PD20 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | ATLAS-MLO |
| Discovery site | Mauna Loa Obs. (first observed only) |
| Discovery date | 11 August 2018 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | 2018 PD20 |
Alternative designations | A107ZJi |
Minor planet category | NEO · Apollo |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 7 · 6 | |
| Observation arc | 1 day |
| Aphelion | 1.6604 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.8163 AU |
Semi-major axis | 1.2383 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.3408 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 1.38 yr (503 d) |
Mean anomaly | 300.72° |
Mean motion | 0° 42m 54.72s / day |
| Inclination | 9.4808° |
Longitude of ascending node | 317.68° |
| 283.56° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.000182 AU (0.0708 LD) 27191 km |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 9 m (est. at 0.24) 20 m (est. at 0.05) |
| 27.38 27.4 | |
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