Asteroid 2018 FE3 flew past Earth at 0.38 LD, 3 days before discovery
A newly discovered asteroid 2018 FE3 flew past our planet at a very close distance of 0.38 LD / 0.00098 AU (~146 605 km / 91 096 miles) at 07:06 UTC on March 18, 2018.
This object belongs to the Aten group of asteroids. It was first observed at Catalina Sky Survey on March 21, 3 days after it made its closest approach.
Its estimated diameter is between 9.9 and 22 m (32.5 – 72 feet).
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
This was the 21st known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year. It was followed by 2018 FQ3 on March 19.
Reference:
Asteroid 2018 FE3 at Minor Planet Center; at 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 grey. The blue arrow points in the direction of Earth's motion and the yellow arrow points toward the Sun. Credit: Minor Planet Center.
If you value what we do here, create your ad-free account and support our journalism.
Your support makes a difference
Dear valued reader,
We hope that our website has been a valuable resource for you.
The reality is that it takes a lot of time, effort, and resources to maintain and grow this website. We rely on the support of readers like you to keep providing high-quality content.
If you have found our website to be helpful, please consider making a contribution to help us continue to bring you the information you need. Your support means the world to us and helps us to keep doing what we love.
Support us by choosing your support level – Silver, Gold or Platinum.
Other support options include Patreon pledges, one-off payments using PayPal and purchasing products from our webshop.
Thank you for your consideration. Your support is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Teo Blašković
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.