2012_UE34

<span class="nowrap">2012 UE<sub>34</sub></span>

2012 UE34

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2012 UE34 is a sub-kilometer asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 70 meters (230 feet) 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] On 8 April 2041 it will pass Earth at a nominal distance of 0.0007329 AU (110,000 km; 68,000 mi). Due to its presumed small size, it does not qualify as a potentially hazardous asteroid, despite its low Earth MOID.[2]

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Orbit and classification

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 0.996–1.22 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 0.002 AU (300,000 km; 190,000 mi) from Earth on 8 April 1991.[2] On 8 April 2041, the asteroid will pass about 0.0007 AU (100,000 km; 65,000 mi) 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 0.000919 AU (137,500 km), which translates into 0.36 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 below the defined threshold of 22 magnitude.[2]

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Numbering and naming

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

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]

References

  1. [1]
    "2012 UE34". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  2. [2]
    "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2012 UE34)" (2019-11-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 16 January 2020.
  3. [3]
    "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 9 February 2018.
  4. [4]
    "Date/Time Removed". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Archived from the original on 2 June 2002.
Preceded by Large NEO Earth close approach
(inside the orbit of the Moon)
8 April 2041		 Succeeded by
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