2017 TD6 (original) (raw)

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Micro-asteroid

2017 TD6

Discovery[1][2]
Discovered by Pan-STARRS
Discovery site Haleakala Obs.
Discovery date 11 October 2017(first observed only)
Designations
MPC designation 2017 TD6
Minor planet category NEO · Apollo[1]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 6
Observation arc (8 days)
Aphelion 1.5284 AU
Perihelion 0.7798 AU
Semi-major axis 1.1541 AU
Eccentricity 0.3243
Orbital period (sidereal) 1.24 yr (453 days)
Mean anomaly 275.44°
Mean motion 0° 47m 42s / day
Inclination 1.7198°
Longitude of ascending node 26.985°
Argument of perihelion 82.738°
Earth MOID 0.00034 AU · 0.13 LD
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 9.9–22 m[3]11 m (generic at 0.20)[4]
Absolute magnitude (H) 27.162[1] · 27.175

2017 TD6 is a micro-asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 10–20 meters in diameter. It was first observed by Pan-STARRS at Haleakala Observatory, Hawaii, on 11 October 2017.[2]

On 19 October 2017, the asteroid transited Earth at a nominal distance of 191,000 km; 119,000 mi (0.001278 AU), which corresponds to 0.5 lunar distances (LD). On the following day it also passed near the Moon at 113,000 km (0.00075575 AU).[1] Peaking near a magnitude of 18, the object was too faint to be seen—except for the largest telescopes.[3]

As of 2018, 2017 TD6 has a poorly determined orbit with an uncertainty of 6 and a short observation arc of 8 days only. Due to its small size, the asteroid is likely to remain unobserved until its next, still relatively distant approach, predicted to occur in March 2044, at a distance of 2,030,000 km (0.01358 AU) or 5.3 LD from Earth.[1]

  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2017 TD6)" (2017-10-19 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b "2017 TD6". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  3. ^ a b Steve Spaleta (19 October 2017). "Newfound Bus-Size Asteroid Will Zoom Safely By Earth Today". Space.com. Retrieved 25 January 2018.
  4. ^ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 25 January 2018.

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