Extremely close flyby of asteroid 2019 UN13 – just 0.03 LD, closest since February 2011
A newly discovered asteroid designated 2019 UN13 flew past Earth at an extremely close distance of just 0.03 LD / 8.43e-5 AU (12 611 km / 7 836 miles) at 14:45 UTC on October 31, 2019.
The asteroid was discovered early October 31 at Catalina Sky Survey, Arizona, just several hours before its close approach.
The object belongs to the Aten group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 1 and 2.2 m (3 – 7.2 feet).
It flew past us over Africa at a speed of 12.85 km/s. Its trajectory was heavily influenced by Earth's gravity, sending its aphelion out to the asteroid belt between Jupiter and Mars.
Its flyby marks the third closest approach of any known asteroid on record, including 2010 RF12 expected to flyby us in September 2095, and the second closest since 2011 CQ11 on February 4, 2011.
Object | Close approach | Distance | V relative (km/s) | H (mag) | Estimated diameter |
(2010 RF12) | 2095-Sep-05 23:53 ± 15:25 | 5e-3 | 1.18e-5 | 21.84 | 28.1 | 6.4 m – 14 m |
(2011 CQ1) | 2011-Feb-04 19:39 ± < 00:01 | 0.03 | 7.92e-5 | 9.69 | 32.1 | 1.0 m – 2.3 m |
(2019 UN13) | 2019-Oct-31 14:45 ± < 00:01 | 0.03 | 8.43e-5 | 12.85 | 32.1 | 1.0 m – 2.2 m |
(2008 TS26) | 2008-Oct-09 03:30 ± 00:03 | 0.03 | 8.44e-5 | 15.76 | 33.2 | 0.61 m – 1.4 m |
(2004 FU162) | 2004-Mar-31 15:35 ± 01:32 | 0.03 | 8.63e-5 | 13.39 | 28.7 | 4.8 m – 11 m |
(2018 UA) | 2018-Oct-19 14:46 ± < 00:01 | 0.04 | 9.14e-5 | 14.14 | 30.2 | 2.4 m – 5.4 m |
(2016 DY30) | 2016-Feb-25 19:59 ± 00:06 | 0.04 | 9.56e-5 | 17.34 | 30.5 | 2.1 m – 4.7 m |
(2019 AS5) | 2019-Jan-08 00:37 ± < 00:01 | 0.04 | 0.00010 | 12.52 | 32.3 | 0.92 m – 2.1 m |
(2017 GM) | 2017-Apr-04 10:32 ± < 00:01 | 0.04 | 0.00011 | 18.50 | 29.9 | 2.8 m – 6.2 m |
(2017 UJ2) | 2017-Oct-20 14:07 ± 00:02 | 0.05 | 0.00012 | 8.48 | 30.9 | 1.8 m – 3.9 m |
2019 UN13 orbit diagram
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
This is the 61st known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year, including 2019 VA expected on November 2, and 11th in the month of October.
NEO | DATE / TIME UTC | DISTANCE LD | AU | Diameter (m) | ||||
2019 VA | November 2 @ 17:41 ± 00:12 | 0.28 | 0.00072 | 5.6 – 12 | ||||
2019 UG11 | November 1 @ 20:42 ± 00:02 | 0.55 | 0.00140 | 13 – 29 | ||||
2019 UN13 | October 31 @ 14:45 ± < 00:01 | 0.03 | 8.43e-5 | 1 – 2.2 | ||||
2019 UB8 | October 29 @ 06:30 ± 00:03 | 0.50 | 0.00127 | 4 – 8.9 | ||||
2019 UX12 | October 26 @ 03:08 ± 00:04 | 0.99 | 0.00255 | 4.9 – 11 | ||||
2019 UO8 | October 25 @ 13:30 ± 00:01 | 0.41 | 0.00105 | 3.1 – 6.9 | ||||
2019 UN8 | October 23 @ 16:41 ± 00:17 | 0.93 | 0.00235 | 3.1 – 6.9 | ||||
2019 UL3 | October 19 @ 22:23 ± 00:08 | 0.77 | 0.00199 | 6 – 13 | ||||
2019 UG | October 18 @ 09:23 ± < 00:01 | 0.84 | 0.00215 | 6.8 – 15 | ||||
2019 UU1 | October 18 @ 06:23 ± < 00:01 | 0.59 | 0.00150 | 2.1 – 5.1 | ||||
2019 TN5 | October 5 @ 22:38 ± < 00:01 | 0.32 | 0.00083 | 5.5 – 12 | ||||
2019 SP3 | October 3 @ 06:36 ± 00:34 | 0.97 | 0.00248 | 13 – 30 | ||||
2019 SM8 | October 1 @ 13:56 ± < 00:01 | 0.41 | 0.00106 | 3.8 – 8.6 | ||||
2019 TD | September 29 @ 18:50 ± 00:13 | 0.34 | 0.00087 | 4.1 – 9.1 | ||||
2019 TE | September 28 @ 20:31 ± 01:31 | 0.93 | 0.00238 | 6.8 – 15 | ||||
2019 SX8 | September 28 @ 07:49 ± 00:38 | 0.99 | 0.00255 | 4.6 – 10 | ||||
2019 SS3 | September 22 @ 22:48 ± 00:21 | 0.73 | 0.00188 | 15 – 34 | ||||
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 |
Reference:
Asteroid 2019 UN13 at Minor Planet Center; at CNEOS
Featured image credit: MPC
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