2018 BD

2018 BD
Orbit before and after 1/18/2018 flyby
Discovery[1]
Discovered byCSS
Discovery siteMount Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date18 January 2018
(first observed only)
Designations
2018 BD
NEO · Apollo[1][2]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 7
Observation arc1 day
Aphelion1.3555 AU
Perihelion0.7508 AU
1.0531 AU
Eccentricity0.2871
1.08 yr (395 days)
357.05°
0° 54m 43.2s / day
Inclination2.4082°
298.10°
273.70°
Earth MOID6.019×10−6 AU
(0.00234 LD)
Physical characteristics
2 m (est. at 0.35)[3]
6 m (est. at 0.05)[3]
30.154[2]

2018 BD is a small asteroid and near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 2–6 meters (7–20 ft) in diameter. It was first observed on 18 January 2018, by astronomers of the Catalina Sky Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, United States,[1] just hours before passing about 0.10 lunar distances from the Earth.[2]

Orbit and classification

2018 BD is an Apollo asteroid. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.75–1.36 AU once every 13 months (395 days; semi-major axis of 1.05 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.29 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.[2]

The object has an exceptionally low minimum orbital intersection distance with Earth of 900 km; 560 mi (0.000006019 AU), or 0.002 lunar distances.[2]

2018 approach

2018 BD passing near geosynchronous orbit
The object's motion across the sky in 15 minutes intervals west to east

Physical characteristics

Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, 2018 BD measures between 2 and 6 meters in diameter, for an absolute magnitude of 30.154, and an assumed albedo between 0.05 and 0.20, which represent typical values for carbonaceous and a bright E-type asteroids, respectively.[3] As of 2018, no rotational light curve of this object has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.[2]

Numbering and naming

This minor planet has neither been numbered nor named.[1]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d "2018 BD". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 BD)" (2018-01-18 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 22 February 2018.