2020 SW
Discovery [1][2]
Discovered byMt. Lemmon Survey
(Kacper W. Wierzchoś)[3]
Discovery siteMt. Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date18 September 2020
Designations
2020 SW
C378AD2 [4][5]
NEO · Apollo (pre-flyby) [6]
Aten (post-flyby) [2]
Orbital characteristics [6]
Epoch 17 December 2020 (JD 2459200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 5
Observation arc6 days
Aphelion1.140 AU
Perihelion0.7425 AU
0.941 AU
Eccentricity0.21118
0.91 yr
353.718°
1° 4m 45.117s / day
Inclination2.326°
1.808°
22 December 2020 19:43 UT
118.950°
Earth MOID0.00042 AU (63,000 km)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
4–9 m (assumed albedo 0.05–0.25)[7]
0.0079039±0.0000001 h[3]
(28.4540±0.0004 s)
21.4 (at discovery)[1]
29.063±0.335[6]
29.06[2]

    2020 SW is a tiny near-Earth asteroid discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey on 18 September 2020, six days before it made its closest approach to Earth. The asteroid passed within 21,600 kilometres (13,400 mi) from Earth's surface on 24 September 2020 11:13 UT, within the geostationary altitude of 36,000 kilometres (22,000 mi). The encounter with Earth perturbed the asteroid's heliocentric trajectory from an Apollo-type orbit to an Aten-type orbit with a semi-major axis within one astronomical unit from the Sun. As a result, the asteroid will not make any close approaches to Earth within 0.01 astronomical units (4 LD) in the next 200 years.

    With an estimated diameter roughly 4–9 metres (13–30 ft) across, 2020 SW is comparable to the size of a small school bus. Had it impacted Earth, it would mostly have disintegrated as a fireball during atmospheric entry and might have left a common strewn field. Extensive observations of its brightness during the close encounter show that it is an elongated body with a rapid rotation period of 28.5 seconds.

    Discovery

    2020 SW was discovered on 18 September 2020 by the Mount Lemmon Survey under astronomer Kacper W. Wierzchoś, stationed at the Mount Lemmon Observatory in Tucson, Arizona. The asteroid was first observed in the constellation Pegasus at an apparent magnitude of 21.4.[1] It was moving at an on-sky rate of 1.41 arcseconds per minute, from a distance of 0.02 AU (3 million km; 2 million mi) from Earth.[8]

    The asteroid was subsequently listed on the Minor Planet Center's Near-Earth Object Confirmation Page (NEOCP) as C378AD2.[5] Follow-up observations were carried out by four other observatories including Pan-STARRS 1 (F51) and the Catalina Sky Survey (V06). Within one day after the asteroid's discovery, the listing was confirmed and publicly announced as 2020 SW on 19 September 2020.[1]

    Orbit and classification

    2020 SW is currently on an Earth-crossing Aten-type orbit with an orbital semi-major axis of 0.941 AU and an orbital period of 0.91 years.[2] With a nominal perihelion distance of 0.743 AU and an aphelion distance of 1.140 AU, 2020 SW's orbit extends from Venus to Earth, resulting in occasional close passes with these planets. The nominal minimum orbit intersection distances (MOID) with Venus and Earth are approximately 0.02421 AU (3,622,000 km; 2,250,000 mi) and 0.00042 AU (63,000 km; 39,000 mi), respectively.[5] 2020 SW has an orbital eccentricity of 0.211 and an inclination of 2.3 degrees to the ecliptic.[2]

    Before the Earth encounter on 18 September 2020, 2020 SW had a more distant Apollo-type orbit crossing the path of Earth. It had a perihelion distance of 0.822 AU and a semi-major axis of 1.015 AU, with an orbital period of 1.02 years. The orbit had an orbital eccentricity of 0.190 and an inclination of 4.2 degrees to the ecliptic.[6]

    Orbital Elements
    Parameter Epoch Period
    (p)    		 Aphelion
    (Q)    		 Perihelion
    (q)    		 Semi-major axis
    (a)    		 Eccentricity
    (e)    		 Inclination
    (i)
    Units (days) AU (°)
    Pre-flyby 2020-May-31[6] 373.5 1.208 0.822 1.015 0.1902 4.212°
    Post-flyby 2020-Dec-17[2][9] 333.6 1.140 0.743 0.941 0.2112 2.326°

    Physical characteristics

    Albedo and diameter

    Based on an magnitude-to-diameter conversion and a measured absolute magnitude of 29.06, 2020 SW measures between 4 and 9 metres in diameter for an assumed geometric albedo of 0.25 and 0.05, respectively.[2][7] Given its small size, 2020 SW can be compared to a small school bus.[10] It is too small to pose any threat to Earth and its nominal orbit is not known to be on an impact trajectory with the planet. Even had it impacted Earth, it would mostly have disintegrated as a fireball during atmospheric entry and might have left a common strewn field.[10]

    Shape and rotation

    The 2020 SW close encounter with Earth provided an opportunity for astronomers to take detailed measurements of its light curve to determine the asteroid's rough shape and rotation period. On 24 September 2020, within 10 hours before closest approach to Earth, 2020 SW was continually observed by astronomer Peter Birtwhistle at the Great Shefford Observatory (J95) for 2 hours and 51 minutes. He derived a period of 0.0079039±0.0000001 h (28.4540±0.0004 s) and a light curve amplitude of 0.73, indicating an elongated shape with a minimum a/b ellipsoid aspect ratio of 1.6. Earlier independent observations of 2020 SW by astronomers at the Northolt Branch Observatories produced similar measurements of the asteroid's light curve, providing a period of 0.00790±0.00001 h (28.44±0.04 s) and an amplitude of 0.72.[3]

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 "MPEC 2020-S83 : 2020 SW". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 19 September 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "2020 SW". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    3. 1 2 3 Birtwhistle, Peter (January 2021). "Lightcurve Analysis for Four Near-Earth Asteroids". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 48 (1): 26–29. Bibcode:2021MPBu...48...26B. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    4. ↑ "2020 SW". NEO Exchange. Las Cumbres Observatory. 23 September 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    5. 1 2 3 Gray, Bill (19 September 2020). ""Pseudo-MPEC" for C378AD2". Project Pluto. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    6. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2020 SW" (2020-09-24 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    7. 1 2 Bruton, Dan. "Conversion of Absolute Magnitude to Diameter for Minor Planets". Department of Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy. Stephen F. Austin State University. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    8. ↑ "2020SW Ephemerides". Near Earth Objects – Dynamic Site (Ephemerides at discovery (obs. code G96)). Department of Mathematics, University of Pisa, Italy. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
    9. ↑ "Orbital Elements for Asteroid (2020 SW)". Horizons output. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 6 February 2021. ("Ephemeris Type" select "Orbital Elements"  · Set "Time Span" to 2020-Dec-17)
    10. 1 2 "School Bus-Size Asteroid to Safely Zoom Past Earth". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. NASA. 22 September 2020. Retrieved 23 January 2021.
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