Asteroid 2018 FQ3 flew past Earth at 0.73 LD, one day before discovery
Asteroid 2018 FQ3, first observed at Catalina Sky Survey on March 20, flew past Earth at a distance of 0.73 LD / 0.00187 AU (~279 748 km / 173 827 miles) on March 19, 2018.
This is Apollo class asteroid with an estimated diameter of 5.1 and 11 m (16.7 – 36 feet).
It flew past Earth at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 11.04 km/s at 05:59 UTC on March 19, one day before it was discovered.
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
This was the 22nd known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year. It was preceded by 2018 FE3 on March 18 and will be followed by 2018 FZ3 on March 23.
Reference:
Asteroid 2018 FQ3 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.