Astronomy:2022 RM4
 The orbit of 2022 RM4 is highly inclined at 38° and takes 3.8 years to orbit the Sun. | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pan-STARRS 2 |
| Discovery date | 12 September 2022 |
| Designations | |
| 2022 RM4 | |
| Minor planet category | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 2022-Aug-09 (JD 2459800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 5 | |
| Observation arc | 50 days |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 3.90 astronomical unit|AU (Q) |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 0.98844 AU (q) |
| 2.446 AU (a) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.596 (e) |
| Orbital period | 3.83 years |
| Mean anomaly | 337.8° (M) |
| Inclination | 38.31° (i) |
| Longitude of ascending node | 218.2° (Ω) |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 3 November 2022 |
| 181.7° (ω) | |
| Earth MOID | 0.0032 AU (480 thousand km; 1.2 LD) |
| Jupiter MOID | 1.5 AU (220 million km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
|
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 19.8[4] |
2022 RM4 is categorized as a potentially hazardous asteroid because it is around 400 meters in diameter[3][lower-alpha 1] and makes close approaches to Earth. It was discovered on 12 September 2022 when it was 0.61 astronomical unit|AU (91 million km) from Earth and located at declination +65 near the northern circumpolar star Zeta Draconis.[1]
At 1 November 2022 18:26 UT it passed 0.01536 astronomical unit|AU (2,298,000 km; 5.98 LD) from Earth.[2] As of 1 November 2022 the uncertainty in the close approach distance was ±77 km.[5] The asteroid should have brighten to about apparent magnitude 14.3 which is roughly the brightness of Pluto and was around 75 degrees from the Sun.[6] It may have been viewable by experienced amateur observers with a telescope that has an aperture of around 8-inches or better.[7]
| Date | JPL Horizons nominal geocentric distance (AU) |
uncertainty region (3-sigma) |
|---|---|---|
| 2022-11-01 18:26 ± 00:01 | 0.01536 astronomical unit|AU (2.298 million km)[2] | ±77 km[8] |
By 2 November 2022 the asteroid was better placed for the southern hemisphere with a declination of –32.[6] Goldstone Solar System Radar using the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex 70–meter Deep Space Station 43 and Australia Telescope Compact Array observed the asteroid on 2 November 2022.[9] It then came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 3 November 2022.[2]
See also
- List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2022 beyond 1 LD
- List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2023 beyond 1 LD
- 2015 TB145
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 An absolute magnitude of 19.8 and assumed albedo of 0.14 gives a diameter of 389 meters (or ≈400 meters after rounding).
- ↑ Diameter range based on Minor Planet Center absolute magnitude value of 19.8 and assumed albedo range of 0.25 to 0.05.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "MPEC 2022-R162 : 2022 RM4". IAU Minor Planet Center. 2022-09-25. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/mpec/K22/K22RG2.html. (K22R04M)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2022 RM4)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/tools/sbdb_lookup.html#/?sstr=2022+RM4&view=OPC.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "ESA Summary: 2022RM4". European Space Agency. https://neo.ssa.esa.int/search-for-asteroids?sum=1&des=2022RM4.
- ↑ "2022 RM4 Orbit". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2022+RM4.
- ↑ Archive of JPL Horizons using JPL #24 solution date 2022-Nov-01
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Magnitude near 2022-11-01 close approach". JPL Horizons. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=%272022+RM4%27&START_TIME=%272022-10-31%27&STOP_TIME=%272022-11-03%27&STEP_SIZE=%271%20hour%27&QUANTITIES=%272,9,20,23,29%27. Retrieved 2022-10-09.
- ↑ Kelly Kizer Whitt (2022-10-05). "Large asteroid RM4 to pass closely November 1". Earthsky. https://earthsky.org/space/large-asteroid-to-pass-earth-on-november-1-2022.
- ↑ "Horizons Batch for 2022-11-01 Close Approach". JPL Horizons. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/horizons_batch.cgi?batch=1&COMMAND=%272022+RM4%27&START_TIME=%272022-11-01%2018:26%27&STOP_TIME=%272022-11-02%27&STEP_SIZE=%271%20day%27&QUANTITIES=%2720,39%27. Retrieved 2022-11-01. RNG_3sigma = uncertainty range in km. (JPL#24/Soln.date: 2022-Nov-01 generates RNG_3sigma = 77 km)
- ↑ Dr. Lance A. M. Benner. "Goldstone Asteroid Schedule". NASA Asteroid Radar Research. https://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/goldstone_asteroid_schedule.html.
External links
- Animation showing 2022RM4 approach from the Northern Hemisphere and exit the Southern Hemisphere – Tony Dunn
- Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2022 RM4 close encounter: a image – 14 Oct. 2022
- 2022 RM4 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- Ephemeris · Obs prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Obs info · Close · Physical info · NEOCC
- 2022 RM4 at ESA–space situational awareness
- 2022 RM4 at the JPL Small-Body Database
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