Asteroid 2020 CA to flyby Earth at 0.57 LD on February 2
A newly-discovered Aten-class asteroid designated 2020 CA will flyby Earth at 15:49 UTC on February 2, 2020, at a distance of 0.57 LD / 0.00147 AU (219 908 km / 136 645 miles). With 3 other new <1LD approaches since our last update, this is the 9th known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since the start of the year. The three other asteroids are – 2020 BA15, 2020 BZ13, and 2020 BT14 – expected to flyby us on February 3.
Asteroid 2020 CA was first observed at Mt. Lemmon Survey, Arizona on February 1, one day before its close approach to our planet.
It belongs to the Aten group of asteroids and has an estimated diameter between 3.2 and 7.2 m (10.4 – 23.6 feet).
Atens are near-Earth asteroids whose orbits are similar to that of 2062 Aten (a < 1.0 AU; Q > 0.983 AU). They spend most of their time inside the orbit of Earth, making them interesting targets for asteroid mining.
Asteroid 2020 CA orbit. Credit: CNEOS
[ Ephemeris | Orbit Diagram | Orbital Elements | Physical Parameters | Close-Approach Data ]
Asteroids detected within 1 lunar distance in 2020 (valid 09:07 UTC, February 2):
| NEO | DATE / TIME UTC | DISTANCE LD | AU | Diameter (m) | ||||
| 2020 BT14 | February 3 @ 08:19 ± < 00:01 | 0.49 | 0.00126 | 7.9 – 18 | ||||
| 2020 CA | February 2 @ 15:49 ± 00:02 | 0.57 | 0.00147 | 3.2 – 7.2 | ||||
| 2020 BZ13 | January 29 @ 01:18 ± < 00:01 | 0.28 | 0.00071 | 2.9 – 6.5 | ||||
| 2020 BA15 | January 28 @ 18:03 ± 00:02 | 0.98 | 0.00251 | 8.9 – 20 | ||||
| 2020 BA13 | January 27 @ 16:56 ± < 00:01 | 0.51 | 0.00132 | 4.7 – 11 | ||||
| 2020 BH6 | January 25 @ 05:11 ± < 00:01 | 0.18 | 0.00047 | 5.2 – 12 | ||||
| 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:
| 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 | ||||
Reference
Asteroid 2020 CA at Minor Planet Center; at CNEOS
Featured image credit: MPC
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