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2006 QQ₂₃ is a sub-kilometre asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Aten group that is potentially hazardous only as the orbit evolves over millennia. It was first observed on 21 August 2006 by the Siding Spring Survey. On 10 August 2019, the object safely passed 7.4 million kilometres (4.6 million miles) from Earth. With a 12 year observation arc it has a well determined orbit and is not a threat for the foreseeable future.

Discovery

2006 QQ₂₃ was first observed on 21 August 2006 by the Siding Spring Survey, at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.

Orbit and classification

2006 QQ₂₃ is classified as an Aten asteroid, which means that it is a near-Earth asteroid that crosses Earth's orbit at two points and has an orbital period of less than a year. Because it will come within 0.05 au of the Earth (MOID) and has an absolute magnitude (H) brighter than 22, 2006 QQ₂₃ is labelled as a potentially hazardous object. With a 12 year observation arc it has a well determined orbit and is not a threat for the foreseeable future.

It orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.57–1.03 au in less than 9 months (263 days; semi-major axis of 0.80 au). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.28 and an inclination of 3.4° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its first observation at the Siding Spring Observatory on 21 August 2006.

Close approach in 2019

On 10 August 2019 at 7:23 am UTC, 2006 QQ₂₃ safely passed 0.04977 au (7,445,000 km) from Earth; travelling at around 4.67 km/s (16,800 km/h) The asteroid was recovered on 14 July 2019, which extended the observation arc from 8 years to 12 years, and therefore it had a very small uncertainty in the 2019 approach. The uncertainty region in the close approach was ±60 km.

Physical characteristics

Based on its absolute magnitude of 20.1, 2006 QQ₂₃ is estimated to have a diameter of 250–570 metres using an assumed albedo between 0.05 (carbonaceous) and 0.26 (siliceous).

Notes

1. The name 2006 QQ₂₃ is its provisional designation which is based on the date it was discovered: 2006 for the year, "Q" for half-month of August 16–31, and "Q₂₃" for the 17th discovery in the 23rd reiteration of the alphabet (excluding "I"), making it the 592nd object discovered in the second half of August 2006.
2. Archive of JPL 19 (2019-08-06 solution) using 2019-08-10 close approach data: (max distance: 0.04977 − min distance: 0.0497692) × 149597870.7 km = 119.6 km.

References

1. ^ "2006 QQ23". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
2. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2006 QQ23)" (2019-08-03 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
3. ^ "NEO Earth Close Approaches (2006 QQ23, archived)". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Archived from the original on 7 August 2019. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
4. ^ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
5. ^ "Close-Approach Data – JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2006 QQ23)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
6. ^ Georgiou, Aristos (31 July 2019). "2006 QQ23: Enormous asteroid larger than Empire State Building set to fly past Earth next week". Newsweek. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
7. ^ Bhattacharjee, Rajarshi (31 July 2019). "2006 QQ23: The hazardous asteroid can wipe out an entire country if it hits the Earth". Economic Times. Retrieved 5 August 2019.
8. "NEO Basics – Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs)". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
9. "Giant, yet Benign Asteroid Set to Fly by Earth on August 10". Weather.com. The Weather Channel India. 8 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2019.
10. Gohd, Chelsea (3 August 2019). "An Asteroid Bigger Than the Empire State Building Will Pass Earth Soon". Space.com. Retrieved 5 August 2019.

External links

• MPEC 2009-P41 : 2006 QQ23, Minor Planet Electronic Circular
• List Of Aten Minor Planets (by designation), Minor Planet Center
• List of the Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs), Minor Planet Center
• PHA Close Approaches To The Earth, Minor Planet Center
• 2006 QQ23 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemerides · Observation prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Observational info · Close approaches · Physical info · Orbit animation
• 2006 QQ23 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Astronomical objects discovered in 2006
• Aten asteroids
• Discoveries by SSS
• Minor planet object articles (unnumbered)
• Near-Earth objects in 2006
• Potentially hazardous asteroids