2018 LF16

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

2018 LF16
2018 LF16-orbit.png
The best inclined orbit is currently completely outside Earth's orbit, with markers every 30 days of motion.
Discovery [1]
Discovered byPan-STARRS 1
Discovery siteHaleakala Obs.
Discovery date14 June 2018
Designations
MPC designation
2018 LF16
Minor planet category
NEO · Amor [1][2]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 15 June 2018 (JD 2458284.5)
Uncertainty parameter 9
Observation arc1.8 days[3]
Aphelion2.6756 AU
Perihelion1.1432 AU
1.9094 AU
Eccentricity0.4013
2.64 yr (964 d)
313.01°
0° 22m 24.96s / day
Inclination15.473°
166.30°
188.78°
Earth MOID0.138 AU (53.9 LD)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
213 m[3]
280 m[4]
Absolute magnitude (H)
20.3[1]
20.5[2][4]
21.0[3]

2018 LF16 is a small near-Earth asteroid of the Amor group, first observed by astronomers with the Pan-STARRS survey at Haleakala Observatory on 14 June 2018. Based on limited observations, early estimates of its size of 213 m (699 ft) would make it extremely destructive if it collided with Earth, but predicted orbits make a collision unlikely.

In November 2018, news article headlines exaggerated[5] claims of 62 potentially dangerous Earth-orbit crossings in the next century but also reported NASA calculations indicating there is only a 1 in 30,000,000 chance of impact.[6] Additionally, 2018 LF16 is rated at 0 on the Torino Scale, meaning that the chance of impact is so low as to effectively be zero. The observation arc extends only 1.8 days,[3] leaving large uncertainties in its predicted motion,[7][8] causing 2018 LF16 to be considered a lost asteroid.[9]

Its current best orbit leaves it entirely outside of Earth's orbit, never coming closer than 0.13 AU to Earth (MOID).

It is placed 9492nd on near-Earth asteroid Tisserand parameters list.[10]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c "2018 LF16". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  2. ^ a b c "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 LF16)" (2018-06-16 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 7 January 2019.
  3. ^ a b c d "Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring - Object Details 2018 LF16". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  4. ^ a b "ESA space situational awareness 2018LF16". European Space Agency. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  5. ^ Wehner, Mike (26 November 2018). "No, asteroid 2018 LF16 probably isn't going to hit the Earth". Boy Genius Report.
  6. ^ Kettley, Sebastian (25 November 2018). "NASA asteroid WARNING: 700-foot-wide space rock on 62 RISK trajectories with Earth by 2023". Express.co.uk. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  7. ^ "MPC Ephemerides for Visible Risk-Listed Objects". www.hohmanntransfer.com. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  8. ^ Chamberlin, Alan. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser". ssd.jpl.nasa.gov. Retrieved 26 November 2018.
  9. ^ "NEODyS-2 - Near Earth Objects - Dynamic Site - Risk List". SpaceDys. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
  10. ^ "Near-Earth Asteroid Tisserand Parameters". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 6 August 2020.[dead link]

External links[]

Retrieved from ""