2018 PD20

2018 PD20
Orbit and positions of 2018 PD20
Discovery [1]
Discovered byATLAS-MLO
Discovery siteMauna Loa Obs.
(first observed only)
Discovery date11 August 2018
Designations
2018 PD20
A107ZJi [2][3]
NEO · Apollo [1][4]
Orbital characteristics [4]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 7[4] · 6[1]
Observation arc1 day
Aphelion1.6604 AU
Perihelion0.8163 AU
1.2383 AU
Eccentricity0.3408
1.38 yr (503 d)
300.72°
0° 42m 54.72s / day
Inclination9.4808°
317.68°
283.56°
Earth MOID0.000182 AU (0.0708 LD)
27191 km
Physical characteristics
9 m (est. at 0.24)[5]
20 m (est. at 0.05)[5]
27.38[4]
27.4[1]

2018 PD20 is a small asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 9–20 meters (30–66 feet) in diameter. On 11 August 2018, it was first observed by ATLAS at the Mauna Loa Observatory on Hawaii (T08),[1] when it passed 33,500 kilometers (20,800 miles) from the Earth.[4] This is notable because it came within a tenth of the lunar distance, or 0.10 LD which is closer to Earth than satellites in a geostationary orbit. These have an altitude of 0.11 LD, about 36,000 km (22,000 mi), approximately 3 times the width of the Earth.

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  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference MPC-confirm was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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  4. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference h was invoked but never defined (see the help page).