2012 KT42

2012 KT42
Designations
Apollo, NEO
Orbital characteristics
Aphelion 2.043 AU
Perihelion 0.646 AU
1.344 AU
Eccentricity 0.5198
569.52 d
(1.56 a)
276.26°
Inclination 0.3540°
247.04°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions ~4 to 10 metre[1]
29[2]

    2012 KT42 is an Apollo near-Earth asteroid discovered by Alex R. Gibbs of the Mt. Lemmon Survey (part of the Catalina Sky Survey) with a 1.5-m reflector + CCD on May 28, 2012.

    Overview

    The asteroid had a close approach to the Earth on May 29, 2012, approaching to only ~8950 miles / ~14,440 km above the planet's surface. This means 2012 KT42 came inside the Clarke Belt of geosynchronous satellites. As of May 28, 2012, the estimated 5 to 10 meter wide asteroid ranked #6 on the top 20 list of closest-approaches to Earth. There was no danger of a collision during the close approach. 2012 KT42 would pass roughly 0.01 AU (1,500,000 km; 930,000 mi) from Venus on 2012 July 8.[3]

    It is estimated that an impact would produce an upper atmosphere air burst equivalent to 11 kt TNT,[4] roughly equal to Hiroshima's Little Boy. The asteroid would be vaporized as these small impacts occur approximately once per year. A comparable-sized object caused the Sutter's Mill meteorite in California on 2012 April 22. It was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on 2012 May 30.[5]

    References

    1. ↑ "Conversion of Absolute Magnitude to Diameter". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
    2. ↑ "2012 KT42 Orbit". Minor Planet Center. 2012-05-29. Retrieved 2012-05-30.
    3. ↑ "JPL Close-Approach Data: (2012 KT42)" (last observation: 2012-05-29; arc: 1 day; uncertainty: 5). Retrieved 2012-05-29.
    4. ↑ "Earth Impact Risk Summary: 2012 KT42". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Retrieved 2012-05-29.
    5. ↑ "Date/Time Removed". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Retrieved 2012-05-30.

    External links


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