2018 CB (original) (raw)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Near-Earth micro-asteroid

2018 CB

Highly elliptical orbit of 2018 CB, crossing those of both Mars and Earth. Positions shown for 1 January 2018, before flyby.
Discovery[1]
Discovered by CSS
Discovery site Mount Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date 4 February 2018(first observed only)
Designations
MPC designation 2018 CB
Minor planet category NEO · Apollo[1][2]Earth- and Mars crosser
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2
Observation arc 5 days
Aphelion 1.8589 AU
Perihelion 0.9582 AU
Semi-major axis 1.4085 AU
Eccentricity 0.3197
Orbital period (sidereal) 1.67 yr (611 days)
Mean anomaly 10.249°
Mean motion 0° 35m 22.56s / day
Inclination 5.3027°
Longitude of ascending node 320.79°
Argument of perihelion 208.11°
Earth MOID 0.0004 AU (0.2 LD)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter 7 m (assumed)[3]20 m (upper limit)
Geometric albedo >0.18~1 (assumed)[3]
Absolute magnitude (H) 26.0[2]

2018 CB is a very bright micro-asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, less than 20 meters (66 ft) in diameter. It was first observed by astronomers of the Catalina Sky Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, on 4 February 2018, during its sub-lunar close encounter with Earth.[1]

On 9 February 2018, the asteroid passed about 64,500 km (40,100 mi) from Earth, traveling 10 miles per second (16 km/s) relative to Earth and briefly reaching apparent magnitude 13.[4] It was observed by the Goldstone Observatory, which constrained its size to no more than 20 meters.[3]

During the flyby its period was changed from 1.48 years to 1.67 years.[2]

2018 CB's orbit is in Earth's neighborhood, so it frequently makes other close approaches to Earth like the 2018 one, although not usually as close. In 1953 (65 years or 44 orbits earlier), it passed 0.00650 AU (972,000 km; 604,000 mi) from Earth, and in 2090 it will pass between 0.00475 AU (711,000 km; 442,000 mi) and 0.00798 AU (1,194,000 km; 742,000 mi) from Earth.

It also may have passed similarly near Earth in 1914, but the uncertainty in the 1953 approach makes it difficult to determine.

Physical characteristics

[edit]

2018 CB appears unusually bright for its size, suggesting it is made of brighter materials than the average asteroid.

  1. ^ a b c "2018 CB". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 CB)" (2018-02-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 15 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c Benner, Lance. "2018 CB Astrometry - Minor Planet Mailing List". groups.yahoo.com. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  4. ^ Bob King (5 February 2018). "Asteroids 2018 CB And CC Graze Earth This Week — Watch It Online". Astro Bob.
  5. ^ Wells, G.; Bamberger, D. (8 February 2018). "Very close approacher 2018 CB (Video)". Northolt Branch Observatories, Facebook. Retrieved 11 February 2018.
  6. ^ Wells, G.; Bamberger, D. (8 February 2018). "Very close approacher 2018 CB". Northolt Branch Observatories, Facebook. Retrieved 11 February 2018.

Wikimedia Commons has media related to 2018 CB.