3 newly discovered asteroids flew past Earth within 1 lunar distance on September 21

Three newly discovered asteroids, designated 2019 SU2, 2019 SD1 and 2019 SS2, flew past Earth within 1 lunar distance on September 21. All three of them belong to the Apollo group of asteroids and all three of them were first observed at Mt. Lemmon Survey, Arizona. Their discovery pushed the number of known <1 LD asteroid flybys this month to 7.

2019 SU2 was first observed on September 22, one day after its close approach. Its estimated diameter is between 2.7 and 6.1 m (8.8 – 20 feet) and it flew past Earth at 02:48 UTC at a distance of 0.19 LD / 0.00048 AU (71 806 km / 44 618 miles).

[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]

2019 SU2 at Minor Planet Center; CNEOS

2019 SD1 was first observed on September 20, one day before the object made its close approach to Earth. 

Its estimated diameter is between 5.5 and 12 m (18 – 39 feet). The object flew past us at 06:46 UTC at a distance of 0.73 LD / 0.00187 AU (279 748 km / 173 827 miles).

[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]

2019 SD1 at Minor Planet Center; CNEOS

2019 SS2 was first observed on September 22, one day after it made its close approach to Earth. 

The object has an estimated diameter between 2 and 4.4 m (6.5 – 14.4 feet) and it flew past us at 07:12 UTC at a distance of 0.30 LD / 0.00077 AU (115 190 km / 71 575 miles).

[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]

Asteroid 2019 SS2 at Minor Planet Center; CNEOS

​A total of 46 known asteroids flew past Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year. 

 

NEO	DATE / TIME UTC	DISTANCE LD | AU	Diameter (m)
2019 SS2	September 21 @ 07:12 ± 00:02	0.30 | ​0.00077	2 – 4.4
2019 SD1	September 21 @ 06:46 ± < 00:01	0.73 | 0.00187	5.5 – 12
2019 SU2	September 21 @ 02:48 ± 00:05	0.19 | 0.00048	2.7 – 6.1
2019 SJ	September 16 @ 18:55 ± 00:03	0.64 | 0.00163	8.6 – 19
2019 RC1	September 7 @ 10:48 ± 00:04	0.48 | ​0.00123	4.5 – 10
2019 RP1	September 5 @ 22:04 ± < 00:01	0.10 | ​0.00025	7.4 – 17
2019 RQ	September 2 @ 16:45 ± < 00:01	0.29 | ​0.00074	2.1 – 4.6
2019 QQ3	August 26 @ 15:14 ± 00:01	0.25 | 0.00064	3.7 – 8.2
2019 QR8	August 26 @ 08:51 ± 01:08	0.80 | ​0.00207	6.6 – 15
2019 QD	August 22 @ 01:28 ± < 00:08	0.78 | 0.00200	4.7 – 11
2019 QH2	August 20 @ 18:12 ± 00:08	0.13 | 0.00033	2.2 – 5
2019 QB1	August 20 @ 11:55 ± 00:08	0.32 | 0.00082	9.3 – 21
2019 ON3	July 29 @ 01:19 ±  00:14	0.56 | 0.00143	7.4 – 16
2019 OD3	July 28 @ 02:56 ± < 00:01	0.49 | 0.00126	11 – 25
2019 OK	July 25 @ 01:22 ± < 00:04	0.19 | ​0.00048	57 – 130
2019 OD	July 24 @ 13:31 ± 00:04	0.93 | ​0.00239	54 – 120
2019 NN3	July 10 @ 16:29 ± < 00:01	0.83 | 0.00214	35 – 77
2019 NF7	July 9 @ 12:07 ± < 00:01	0.98 | 0.00253	6.4 – 14
2019 MB4	July 9 @ 07:20 ± < 00:01	0.82 | 0.00211	17 – 38
2019 NK1	July 2 @ 09:48 ± 00:05	0.69 | 0.00177	2.9 – 6.5
2019 LW4	June 8 @ 17:04 ± < 00:01	0.65 | ​​0.00166	9.3 – 21
2019 LY4	June 6 @ 01:30 ± < 00:01	0.22 | ​​0.00056	7.3 – 16
2019 KT	May 28 @ 03:48 ± < 00:01	0.85 | ​0.00217	13 – 29
2019 JH2	May 16 @ 00:06 ± < 00:01	0.19 | ​0.00048	3.1 – 7
2019 JY2	May 5 @ 17:12 ± < 00:01	0.38 | 0.00098	3.3 – 7.3
2019 JX1	May 2 @ 12:39 ± 00:02	0.47 | 0.00120	3.8 – 8.6
2019 JK	April 30 @ 08:12 UTC ± 00:01	0.69 | 0.00178	7.1 – 16
2019 HE	April 20 @ 21:12 ± < 00:01	0.58 | 0.00149	13 – 30
2019 GC6	April 18 @ 06:39 ± 00:29	0.57 | 0.00147	13 – 28
2019 GN20	April 12 @ 07:06 ± < 00:01	0.98 | 0.00253	14 – 31
2019 FP21	March 31 @ 19:00  ±  07:46	0.93 | 0.00238	3 – 6.6
2019 FV1	March 31 @ 05:27 ± < 00:01	0.87 | 0.00223	4.6 – 10
2019 FC1	March 28 @ 05:46 ± < 00:01	0.27 | 0.00069	20 – 45
2019 FQ	March 23 @ 18:17 UTC ± < 00:01	0.86 | 0.00220	10 – 23
2019 EA2	March 22 @ 01:53 UTC ± 00:02	0.80 | 0.00205	18 – 40
2019 FA	March 16 @ 01:14 UTC ± < 00:01	0.60 | 0.00154	4.9 – 11
2019 EN2	March 13 @ 23:38 UTC ± < 00:01	0.86 | 0.00221	8 – 18
2019 EH1	March 1 @ 17:38 UTC ± < 00:01	0.06 | 0.00016	2.5 – 5.7
2019 DF	February 26 @ 21:21 UTC  ± 00:09	0.47 | 0.00120	3.0 – 6.7
2019 DG2	Febraury 26 @ 07:39 UTC ± 07:39	0.61 | 0.00158	5.4 – 12
2019 CN5	February 11 @ 07:23 UTC ± 00:03	0.31 | 0.00079	7.3 – 16
2019 BZ3	January 27 @ 23:29 ± < 00:01	0.13 | 0.00032	4.8 – 11
2019 BV1	January 24 @ 20:53 ± < 00:01	0.35 | 0.00090	4.8 – 11
2019 BO	January 16 @ 01:13 ± 00:02	0.18 | 0.00046	6.3 – 14
2019 AE9	January 12 @ 11:09 ± < 00:01	0.26 | 0.00067	9.9 – 22
2019 AS5	January 8 @ 00:37 ± < 00:01	0.04 | 0.00010	0.92 – 2.1

 

Featured image credit: CNEOS