(357439) 2004 BL86
Goldstone radar image of 2004 BL86 and its moon | |
Discovery[1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | LINEAR (704) |
Discovery date | 30 January 2004 |
Designations | |
MPC designation | (357439) 2004 BL86 |
Apollo NEO, PHA[2] | |
Orbital characteristics[2] | |
Epoch 2014-Dec-09 | |
Uncertainty parameter 0[2] | |
Aphelion | 2.1077 AU |
Perihelion | 0.89670 AU |
1.50220 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.40307 |
1.84 yr | |
354.03307° | |
Inclination | 23.74361° |
126.72038° | |
311.25495° | |
Known satellites | 1[3] |
Earth MOID | 0.00817 AU (3.18 LD) |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 325 m (1,066 ft)[3] |
Spectral type | V-type asteroid[4] |
19.3[2] | |
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(357439) 2004 BL86,[5] provisionally known as 2004 BL86, is a near-Earth asteroid estimated to be about 325 meters (1,066 feet) in diameter.[3] It was discovered on 30 January 2004 by LINEAR.[1] It passed 1,199,600 km (745,400 mi), or 3.1 lunar distances, from Earth on 26 January 2015 at 16:20 UTC.[5][6] During the 2015 approach it was determined to have a satellite.
2015 Earth approach
On 26–27 January 2015, the asteroid briefly peaked around apparent magnitude 9 and was near the celestial equator.[7] The asteroid was visible in telescopes with objectives of 100 mm (4 in) or larger; high-end binoculars under a dark sky may also have worked.[8] Near closest approach the asteroid was moving about 2.5 degrees per hour (2.5 arcseconds per second).[7][9] The asteroid came to opposition (furthest elongation in the sky from the Sun) on 27 January 2015 at 04:37 UTC.[7] Around 5:00 UTC, the asteroid was near M44 (the Beehive Cluster).[9]
26 January 2015 approach of 3.1 lunar distances was the closest approach of 2004 BL86 for at least the next 200 years,[5][6][10] and the closest for any known object of its size until (137108) 1999 AN10 passes roughly one lunar distance from Earth in 2027.[11] For comparison, 2014 YB35 of comparable size, passed 4,470,000 km (2,780,000 mi), or 11.6 lunar distances, from Earth on 27 March 2015.[12]
Satellite
A satellite was first detected by ground-based telescopes by Joe Pollock and Petr Pravec.[13] Observations by the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex and Green Bank Telescope confirmed that it is a binary asteroid with a secondary roughly 70 meters (230 feet) across.[3] The secondary is estimated to orbit at least 500 metres (1,600 ft) from the primary.[14] About 16% of asteroids over 200 metres (660 ft) in diameter are thought to be binaries.[3]
Gallery
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Asteroid 2004 BL86 safely passes Earth on 26 January 2015
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Trajectory of 2004 BL86 during Earth close approach
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2004 BL86 (star trail on left) near Xi Puppis
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "MPEC 2004-B80 : 2004 BL86". IAU Minor Planet Center. 31 January 2004. Retrieved 7 June 2014. (K04B86L)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 357439 (2004 BL86)" (last observation: 20 December 2014; arc: 10.89 years). NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 Agle, D. C. (26 January 2015). "Asteroid That Flew Past Earth Today Has Moon". NASA. Retrieved 26 January 2015.
- ↑ "PSI Scientists Study Surface Composition of Asteroid 2004 BL86 During Close Flyby of Earth". Planetary Science Institute. 27 January 2015. Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 Agle, D. C.; Brown, Dwayne (13 January 2015). "Asteroid to Fly By Earth Safely on January 26 [2015]". NASA. Retrieved 13 January 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "JPL Close-Approach Data: 357439 (2004 BL86)" (last observation: 12 March 2013; arc: 9.11 years). NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "(357439) 2004BL86 Ephemerides for 25 January 2015 through 29 January 2015". NEODyS. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ↑ Musgrave, Ian (23 January 2015). "Seeing the Close Flyby of NEO 2004 BL86 26 - 27 January, 2015". Retrieved 28 January 2015.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 MacRobert, Alan (22 January 2015). "Mountain-size Asteroid Glides Past Earth". Sky & Telescope. Retrieved 23 January 2015.
- ↑ Busch, Michael (7 February 2015). "Final post-flyby update...". Twitter.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
- ↑ Benner, Lance A. M. "Goldstone Radar Observations Planning: (357439) 2004 BL86". NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 7 June 2014.
- ↑ "JPL Close-Approach Data: 2014 YB35" (last observation: 15 January 2015; arc: 19 days). NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 16 January 2015.
- ↑ "Image Release: High-Def Radar Images of Near-Earth Asteroid". National Radio Astronomy Observatory. 30 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ↑ Busch, Michael (28 January 2015). "Will require combined analysis...". Twitter.com. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to (357439) 2004 BL86. |
- Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Ephemeris
- Sky & Telescope B/W finder chart
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