Asteroid 2019 MB4 to flyby Earth at 0.82 lunar distances on July 9
A newly discovered asteroid designated 2019 MB4 will flyby Earth at 0.82 LD / 0.00211 AU (315 651 km / 196 136 miles) at 07:20 UTC on July 9, 2019. This object is about the same size as Chelyabinsk asteroid of February 15, 2013. A larger asteroid, designated 2019 NN3, is expected to flyby us at 0.83 LD on July 10.
2019 MB4 belongs to the Amor group of asteroids. This group is named after the archetype object 1221 Amor. The orbital perihelion of these objects is close to, but greater than, the orbital aphelion of Earth (the objects do not cross Earth's orbit), with most Amors crossing the orbit of Mars. The Amor asteroid 433 Eros was the first asteroid to be orbited and landed upon by a robotic space probe (NEAR Shoemaker).
It was first observed at Pan-STARRS, Haleakala observatory in Hawaii on June 29 and its estimated diameter is between 17 and 38 m (55 – 124 feet).
Its closest approach to Earth is expected at 07:20 UTC on July 9 at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 7.17 km/s.
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Mission Design | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
This is the 28th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 LD since the start of the year.
A larger 2019 NN3 will flyby Earth on July 10. 2019 NN3 will be 29th known and the largest since the start of the year.
| NEO | DATE / TIME UTC | DISTANCE LD | AU | Diameter (m) | ||||
| 2019 NN3 | July 10 @ 16:29 ± < 00:01 | 0.83 | 0.00214 | 35 – 77 | ||||
| 2019 MB4 | July 9 @ 07:20 ± < 00:01 | 0.82 | 0.00211 | 17 – 38 | ||||
| 2019 NK1 | July 2 @ 09:48 ± 00:05 | 0.69 | 0.00177 | 2.9 – 6.5 | ||||
| 2019 LW4 | June 8 @ 17:04 ± < 00:01 | 0.65 | 0.00166 | 9.3 – 21 | ||||
| 2019 LY4 | June 6 @ 01:30 ± < 00:01 | 0.22 | 0.00056 | 7.3 – 16 | ||||
| 2019 KT | May 28 @ 03:48 ± < 00:01 | 0.85 | 0.00217 | 13 – 29 | ||||
| 2019 JH2 | May 16 @ 00:06 ± < 00:01 | 0.19 | 0.00048 | 3.1 – 7 | ||||
| 2019 JY2 | May 5 @ 17:12 ± < 00:01 | 0.38 | 0.00098 | 3.3 – 7.3 | ||||
| 2019 JX1 | May 2 @ 12:39 ± 00:02 | 0.47 | 0.00120 | 3.8 – 8.6 | ||||
| 2019 JK | April 30 @ 08:12 UTC ± 00:01 | 0.69 | 0.00178 | 7.1 – 16 | ||||
| 2019 HE | April 20 @ 21:12 ± < 00:01 | 0.58 | 0.00149 | 13 – 30 | ||||
| 2019 GC6 | April 18 @ 06:39 ± 00:29 | 0.57 | 0.00147 | 13 – 28 | ||||
| 2019 GN20 | April 12 @ 07:06 ± < 00:01 | 0.98 | 0.00253 | 14 – 31 | ||||
| 2019 FP21 | March 31 @ 19:00 ± 07:46 | 0.93 | 0.00238 | 3 – 6.6 | ||||
| 2019 FV1 | March 31 @ 05:27 ± < 00:01 | 0.87 | 0.00223 | 4.6 – 10 | ||||
| 2019 FC1 | March 28 @ 05:46 ± < 00:01 | 0.27 | 0.00069 | 20 – 45 | ||||
| 2019 FQ | March 23 @ 18:17 UTC ± < 00:01 | 0.86 | 0.00220 | 10 – 23 | ||||
| 2019 EA2 | March 22 @ 01:53 UTC ± 00:02 | 0.80 | 0.00205 | 18 – 40 | ||||
| 2019 FA | March 16 @ 01:14 UTC ± < 00:01 | 0.60 | 0.00154 | 4.9 – 11 | ||||
| 2019 EN2 | March 13 @ 23:38 UTC ± < 00:01 | 0.86 | 0.00221 | 8 – 18 | ||||
| 2019 EH1 | March 1 @ 17:38 UTC ± < 00:01 | 0.06 | 0.00016 | 2.5 – 5.7 | ||||
| 2019 DF | February 26 @ 21:21 UTC ± 00:09 | 0.47 | 0.00120 | 3.0 – 6.7 | ||||
| 2019 DG2 | Febraury 26 @ 07:39 UTC ± 07:39 | 0.61 | 0.00158 | 5.4 – 12 | ||||
| 2019 CN5 | February 11 @ 07:23 UTC ± 00:03 | 0.31 | 0.00079 | 7.3 – 16 | ||||
| 2019 BZ3 | January 27 @ 23:29 ± < 00:01 | 0.13 | 0.00032 | 4.8 – 11 | ||||
| 2019 BV1 | January 24 @ 20:53 ± < 00:01 | 0.35 | 0.00090 | 4.8 – 11 | ||||
| 2019 BO | January 16 @ 01:13 ± 00:02 | 0.18 | 0.00046 | 6.3 – 14 | ||||
| 2019 AE9 | January 12 @ 11:09 ± < 00:01 | 0.26 | 0.00067 | 9.9 – 22 | ||||
| 2019 AS5 | January 8 @ 00:37 ± < 00:01 | 0.04 | 0.00010 | 0.92 – 2.1 | ||||
The chart includes 2019 NN3
References
Asteroid 2019 MB4 at CNEOS; at Minor Planet Center
Featured image credit: CNEOS
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules:
We reserve the right to remove any comments that violate these rules. By commenting on our website, you agree to abide by these guidelines. Thank you for helping to create a positive and welcoming environment for all.