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2018 CF2

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Asteroid

2018 CF2
The orbit before and after its 2018-flyby
Discovery
Discovered byMLS
Discovery siteMount Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date7 February 2018
Designations
MPC designation2018 CF2
Minor planet categoryNEO · Apollo
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 7
Observation arc2 days
Aphelion2.7662 AU
Perihelion0.9089 AU
Semi-major axis1.8375 AU
Eccentricity0.5054
Orbital period (sidereal)2.49 yr (910 days)
Mean anomaly29.432°
Mean motion0° 23 44.52 / day
Inclination16.284°
Longitude of ascending node137.68°
Argument of perihelion320.19°
Earth MOID0.00077 AU (0.30 LD)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter4–15 m
7 m (est. at 0.20)
14 m (est. at 0.057)
Absolute magnitude (H)28.036

2018 CF2 is a micro-asteroid and near-Earth object of the Apollo group on an eccentric orbit with has an estimated 4–15 meters (10–50 ft). It was first observed on 7 February 2018, by astronomers of the Mount Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, United States. The discovery occurred the day after its sub-lunar passage as it approached the Earth from a sunward direction, and this flyby altered the asteroid's orbit slightly.

Orbit and classification

2018 CF2 belongs to the Apollo asteroids, the largest group of near-Earth objects with nearly 10 thousand known members, which cross the orbit of Earth.

Based on a high uncertainty, it orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.91–2.77 AU once every 2 years and 6 months (910 days; semi-major axis of 1.84 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.51 and an inclination of 16° with respect to the ecliptic. With an aphelion of 2.77 AU, it is also a Mars-crosser, as it crosses the orbit of the Red Planet at 1.666 AU. The body's observation arc begins at Mount Lemmon with its first observation on 7 February 2018.

2018 flyby

On 6 February 2018, 18:45 UTC, the day before its first observation, it had a flyby with the Earth at a nominal distance of 0.25 lunar distances (LD). Its next close approach to Earth is projected to occur on 23 January 2023, at 0.111 AU (43 LD). After the 2018-passage, the body's minimum orbital intersection distance with Earth increased to 0.30 LD (0.00077 AU).

2018 flyby: Path in sky with daily motion south to north (left). View of path across earth-moon system, moving from south to north (right).

Physical characteristics

The Minor Planet Center estimates a diameter of 4–15 meters (10–50 ft). Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion using an absolute magnitude of 28.036, the body measures between 7 and 14 meters in diameter for an assumed albedo of 0.057 and 0.20, which represent typical values for carbonaceous and stony asteroids, respectively.

As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of 2018 CF2 has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.

Numbering and naming

This minor planet has not yet been numbered.

See also

References

  1. ^ "2018 CF2". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 CF2)" (2018-02-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  3. ^ Minor Planet Center. "2018 CF2". Twitter. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 22 February 2018.

External links

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