A newly discovered asteroid designated 2017 UF flew past Earth at 0.99 LD (~380 160 km / 236 220 miles) on October 15, 2017, one day before it was discovered. This is the 40th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year.
Asteroid 2017 UF was first observed at Mt. Lemmon Survey on October 16, 2017. It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 7.1 and 16 m (23 and 52 feet).
It flew past Earth at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 23.07 km/s at 03:22 UTC on October 15.
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
This is the 40th known asteroid to fly by Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year and the 5th of the month. It flew past us 1 day before 2017 TH5 and 4 days before 2017 TD6.
Its next close approach will take place on April 10 or 11, 2094 at ~0.09 AU (35 LD).
Reference:
Asteroid 2017 UF 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. Credit: Minor Planet Center
