2014 RC

2014 RC
2014 RC imaged by the Goldstone Radar on 7 September 2014
Discovery[1][2][3]
Discovered byCSS
Discovery siteCatalina Stn.
Discovery date1 September 2014
(first observed only)
Designations
2014 RC
NEO · Apollo[3][4]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 1 July 2021 (JD 2459396.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3[3][4]
Observation arc18 days w/Radar
Aphelion1.8064 AU
Perihelion0.8211 AU
1.3138 AU
Eccentricity0.3750
1.51 yr (550 d)
155.44°
0° 39m 16.2s / day
Inclination4.5687°
344.91°
71.090°
Earth MOID0.0003 AU (0.1169 LD)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions>22 m (largest axis)[5]
~12–25 m (est.)[6]
0.004389 h (15.80 s)[7][8]
S/q[5][8]
28 (Nov/Dec 2014)
26.8[3][4]

2014 RC is a sub-kilometer near-Earth object and Apollo asteroid. The exceptionally fast rotator passed within 0.000267 AU (39,900 km; 24,800 mi) (0.1 lunar distances) of Earth on 7 September 2014. The asteroid is approximately the diameter of the Chelyabinsk meteor,[5] and passed almost as close to Earth as 367943 Duende (2012 DA14) did in 2013.

With an absolute magnitude of 26.8,[4] the asteroid is about 11–25 meters (36–82 ft) in diameter depending on the albedo.[6] Observations by the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility conclude the asteroid is a fairly bright Sq-class asteroid which have an average albedo of around 0.24, and would give the asteroid a spherical equivalent diameter of 12 meters (39 ft).[5] Measurements by multiple telescopes indicate that the asteroid rotates in 15.8 seconds making it one of the fastest rotating asteroids so far discovered.[5][8] Using the 15.8 second rotation period, more accurate radar observations by Goldstone shows the asteroid has a largest axis of at least 22 meters (72 ft).[5] Due to the asteroid's fast rotation, it is a monolith and not a rubble pile.

On 8 September 2115 the asteroid will pass about 0.0053 AU (790,000 km; 490,000 mi) from the Moon.[4] On 5 September 1973, the asteroid passed between 0.01052 AU (1,574,000 km; 978,000 mi) and 0.01207 AU (1,806,000 km; 1,122,000 mi) from Earth.[4] 2014 RC was removed from the JPL Sentry Risk Table on 5 September 2014 and there are no known possible impact dates in the next 100 years.[9]

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  8. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Devogele-2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
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