Asteroid 2018 YL2 flew past Earth at 0.15 lunar distances
A newly discovered asteroid designated 2018 YL2 flew past Earth at a very close distance of 0.15 LD / 0.00040 AU (59 839 km / 37 182 miles) on December 27, 2018.
This object belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. It was first observed at ATLAS-MLO, Mauna Loa, Hawaii on December 28, one day after its close approach to our planet.
2018 YL2 has an estimated diameter between 3.6 and 8.1 m (11.8 and 26.6 feet). It flew past us at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 11.34 km/s at 17:33 UTC.
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Mission Design | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
This is the third asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance this month and the 74th since the start of the year.
References
Asteroid 2018 YL2 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 half 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
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