2018 CN2 is a very small asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 5 to 16 meters in diameter. It was first observed by astronomers of the Mount Lemmon SurveyatMount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, on 8 February 2018, one day prior its close encounter with Earth at 0.18 lunar distances.[1]
The orbit before and after flyby, with positions on 1 February 2018, before flyby
| |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Mount Lemmon Srvy. |
| Discovery site | Mount Lemon Obs. |
| Discovery date | 8 February 2018 (first observed only) |
| Designations | |
| 2018 CN2 | |
| NEO · Apollo[1][2] Earth- and Mars crosser | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter7 | |
| Observation arc | 1 day |
| Aphelion | 1.7740 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.6335 AU |
| 1.2037 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.4738 |
| 1.32 yr (482 days) | |
| 348.58° | |
| 0° 44m 46.68s / day | |
| Inclination | 25.741° |
| 320.21° | |
| 276.55° | |
| Earth MOID | 7.7×10−5 AU (0.03 LD) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 5–16 m[3] 9 m (est. at 0.20)[4] 17 m (est. at 0.057)[4] | |
| 27.653[2] | |
2018 CN2 is a member of the Apollo asteroids, which cross the orbit of Earth. Apollo's are the largest group of near-Earth objects with nearly 10 thousand known objects.
Based on a high orbital uncertainty, this asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.63–1.77 AU once every 16 months (482 days; semi-major axis of 1.20 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.47 and an inclination of 26° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] With an aphelion of 1.77 AU, it is also a Mars-crosser, as it crosses the orbit of the Red Planet at 1.666 AU. The body's observation arc begins at Mount Lemmon with its first observation on 8 February 2018.[1]
The object has an exceptionally low minimum orbital intersection distance with Earth of 11,500 km (0.000077 AU), or 0.03 lunar distances (LD).[2]
On 9 February 2018, 2018 CN2 passed at a nominal distance of only 69,900 km; 43,400 mi (0.000466964 AU) from Earth at 7:25 UTC.[2] This corresponds to 0.18 LD. Based on the body's high orbital uncertainty, all subsequent close encounters in 2022, 2023, 2026, 2027 and 2031, are projected to occur at a distance of more than 15 million kilometers (0.1 AU; 39 LD).[2]
The Minor Planet Center estimates a diameter of 5–16 meters.[3] Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, 2018 CN2 measures between 9 and 17 meters in diameter, for an absolute magnitude of 27.653, and an assumed albedo between 0.057 and 0.20, which represent typical values for carbonaceous and stony asteroids, respectively.[4]
As of 2018, no rotational lightcurveof2018 CN2 has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.[2]
This minor planet has neither been numbered nor named.[1]
