2012 UE34

2012 UE34
Discovery [1]
Discovered by Pan-STARRS 1
Discovery site Haleakala Obs.
Discovery date 18 October 2012
(first observed only)
Designations
MPC designation 2012 UE34
NEO · Apollo [1][2]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3
Observation arc (260 days)
Aphelion 1.2150 AU
Perihelion 0.9956 AU
1.1053 AU
Eccentricity 0.0992
1.16 yr (424 days)
242.19°
0° 50m 53.52s / day
Inclination 9.6587°
198.48°
18.409°
Earth MOID 0.0002 AU (0.1 LD)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
 66 m (est. at 0.20)[3]
130 m (est. at 0.05)[3]
23.3[2]

    2012 UE34 is a sub-kilometer asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 70 meters in diameter. It was first observed on 18 October 2012, by Pan-STARRS at Haleakala Observatory on the island of Maui, Hawaii, in the United States.[1] The object was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on 29 December 2013.[4] Due to its presumed small size, it does not qualify as a potentially hazardous asteroid, despite its low Earth MOID of 0.1 lunar distances.[2]

    Description

    2012 UE34 is an Apollo asteroid, which are Earth-crossers and the largest subgroup in the near-Earth object population. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.00–1.22 AU once every 14 months (424 days; semi-major axis of 1.11 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc begins with its official first observation at Haleakala in October 2012.[1]

    Close encounters

    2012 UE34 passed about 300,000 km; 190,000 mi (0.002 AU) from Earth on 8 April 1991.[2] On 8 April 2041, the asteroid will pass about 100,000 km; 65,000 mi (0.0007 AU) from Earth. For comparison, the distance to the Moon is about 0.0026 AU (384,400 km).

    It has an exceptionally low minimum orbital intersection distance with Earth of 0.0002 AU (30,000 km), which translates into 0.1 Lunar distances. Despite this exceptionally low theoretical distance, the asteroid is not listed as a potentially hazardous asteroid, due to its small size, represented by its proxy, an absolute magnitude of 23.3, which is too faint and above the defined threshold of 22 magnitude.[2]

    Physical characteristics

    Based on a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, 2012 UE34 measures 66 meters in diameter, for an absolute magnitude of 23.3 and an assumed albedo of 0.20, which is typical for stony S-type asteroids. In the unusual case of being a carbonaceous asteroid with a low albedo of 0.05, 2012 UE34 may be as large as 130 meters in diameter.[3]

    Numbering and naming

    This minor planet has not been numbered by the Minor Planet Center and remains unnamed.[1]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "2012 UE34". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2012 UE34)" (2013-07-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
    3. 1 2 3 "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
    4. ↑ "Date/Time Removed". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office.
    Preceded by
    99942 Apophis    		 Large NEO Earth close approach
    (inside the orbit of the Moon)
    8 April 2041    		 Succeeded by
    2005 WY55

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