Asteroids 2020 BK3 and 2020 BB5 flew past Earth at 0.78 and 0.69 LD, respectively

Two newly discovered asteroids flew past Earth within 1 lunar distance since January 20, 2020. These are the second and third known asteroids to flyby Earth within 1 LD since the start of the year.
The first, designated 2020 BK3 is an Apollo-class asteroid that flew past us on January 20 at a distance of 0.78 LD / 0.00200 AU (299 195 km / 185 911 miles). Its estimated diameter is between 11 and 25 m (36 – 82 feet).
The asteroid was first observed at ATLAS-MLO, Mauna Loa, Hawaii on January 22, two days after it made a close approach to our planet. It flew past us at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 10.53 km/s at 20:51 UTC.
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
Reference:
Asteroid 2020 BK3 at Minor Planet Center; at CNEOS
Asteroid 2020 BB5 also belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids. It was first observed at Mt. Lemmon Survey, Arizona on January 23, one day after it made its close approach to our planet.
This is a smaller object than 2020 BK3, with an estimated diameter between 3.3 and 7.3 m (10 – 24 feet).
It flew past us at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 9.03 km/s at a distance of 0.69 LD / 0.00177 AU (264 788 km / 164 531 miles) at 00:20 UTC on January 22.
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
Reference:
Asteroid 2020 BB5 at Minor Planet Center; at CNEOS
Asteroids detected within 1 lunar distance in 2020 (valid January 24, 2020):
NEO | DATE / TIME UTC | DISTANCE LD | AU | Diameter (m) | ||||
2020 BB5 | January 22 @ 00:20 ± 00:20 | 0.69 | 0.00177 | 3.3 – 7.4 | ||||
2020 BK3 | January 20 @ 20:51 ± 00:05 | 0.78 | 0.00200 | 11 – 25 | ||||
2020 AP1 | January 2 @ 15:33 ± 00:02 | 0.85 | 0.00218 | 3.2 – 7.2 |
Asteroids detected within 1 lunar distance in 2019 (valid January 24, 2020):
NEO | DATE / TIME UTC | DISTANCE LD | AU | Diameter (m) | ||||
2019 YV4 | December 25 @ 21:41 ± 11:01 | 0.98 | 0.00251 | 9.3 – 21 | ||||
2019 YU2 | December 23 @ 19:28 ± < 00:01 | 0.26 | 0.00066 | 8.9 – 20 | ||||
2019 YS | December 18 @ 15:12 ± < 00:01 | 0.17 | 0.00044 | 1.3 – 3 | ||||
2019 YB | December 18 @ 00:12 ± 00:03 | 0.44 | 0.00113 | 3.1 – 7 | ||||
2019 WJ4 | November 30 @ 20:05 ± < 00:01 | 0.85 | 0.00219 | 5.5 – 12 | ||||
2019 WG2 | November 23 @ 08:44 ± < 00:01 | 0.47 | 0.00121 | 26 – 59 | ||||
2019 WV1 | November 19 @ 23:45 ± 03:13 | 0.72 | 0.00186 | 6.3 – 14 | ||||
2019 WH | November 19 @ 08:01 ± < 00:01 | 0.22 | 0.00057 | 16 – 36 | ||||
2019 VF5 | November 9 @ 23:16 ± < 00:01 | 0.49 | 0.00127 | 8.3 – 19 | ||||
2019 VB5 | November 9 @ 17:29 ± < 00:01 | 0.38 | 0.00097 | 1.2 – 2.7 | ||||
2019 VS4 | November 6 @ 16:28 ± < 00:01 | 0.36 | 0.00093 | 9.3 – 21 | ||||
2019 VR | November 4 @ 10:35 ± < 00:01 | 0.35 | 0.00091 | 6.5 – 14 | ||||
2019 VD | November 4 @ 09:55 ± 00:01 | 0.45 | 0.00116 | 8.7 – 19 | ||||
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 UD10 | October 27 @ 10:08 ± 00:02 | 0.44 | 0.00112 | 6.3 – 14 | ||||
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 |
Featured image credit: Minor Planet Center
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