Asteroid 2017 FU102 to flyby Earth at 0.55 LD
A newly discovered asteroid designated 2017 FU102 will flyby Earth at a distance of 0.55 LD (~211 200 km / 131 233 miles) from the surface of our planet on Sunday, April 2, 2017.
The estimated size of 2017 FU102 is between 5.1 and 11 m (16 – 36 feet). It will flyby us at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 7.52 km/s at 20:19 UTC.
It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and was first observed at Mt. Lemmon Survey on March 29, 2017.
This is the 16th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year, according to CNEOS data available September 20, 2017.
References:
Asteroid 2017 FU102 at Minor Planet Center; CNEOS
Featured image: The green line indicates the object's apparent motion relative to the Earth, and the bright green marks are the object's location at approximately one hour intervals. The Moon's orbit is gray. The blue arrow points in the direction of Earth's motion and the yellow arrow points toward the Sun. Edit: TW
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