(501647) 2014 SD224 is an Atennear-Earth asteroid around 150 meters (490 feet) in diameter. It was discovered on 22 September 2014 when the asteroid was 0.29 AU (43 million km; 110 LD) from Earth and had a solar elongation of 123 degrees. The glare of the Sun had masked the approach of the asteroid as it passed closest approach to Earth on 11 August 2014.[2][a] The asteroid now has a 6-year observation arc and a well-determined orbit. It also makes close approaches to Venus.
2020
2014 SD224 was less than 90 degrees from the Sun until September 2020 when it still had a very faint apparent magnitude of 24. The asteroid was recovered on 22 November 2020 by Mt. Lemmon Survey. The asteroid came to opposition (opposite the Sun in the sky) on 12 December 2020 when it had a solar elongation of 149 degrees and a magnitude of 18.[3] It reached a peak brightness on 23 December 2020 at magnitude 16.4, which is still fainter than Pluto.
The asteroid safely passed closest approach to Earth on 25 December 2020 at 20:20 UT at a distance of 0.02 AU (3.0 million km; 7.8 LD).[2] The 2020 close approach distance is known with an accuracy of roughly ±20 km.
Notes
^The asteroid was within 60 degrees of the Sun from February 2014 until 9 August 2014 04:11 UT.
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