2022_NX1

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2022 NX1

Temporary satellite capture

2022 NX1 is a near-Earth object roughly 10 meters (33 ft) in diameter discovered by Grzegorz Duszanowicz and Jordi Camarasa. The object orbits the Sun but makes slow close approaches to the Earth–Moon system. Between 11 June 2022 and 3 July 2022 (a period of 22 days) it passed within Earth's Hill sphere (roughly 0.01 AU (1.5 million km; 0.93 million mi)) at a low relative velocity and became temporarily captured by Earth's gravity, with a geocentric orbital eccentricity of less than 1[7] and negative geocentric orbital energy.[8] Due to its Earth-like orbit, the object might be of artificial origin or lunar ejecta.[1] However, visible spectroscopy obtained with the Gran Telescopio Canarias shows that it is an asteroid.[9] The closest approach to Earth in 2022 was 26 June 2022 at roughly 812,200 km (504,700 mi) when it had a relative velocity of 0.96 km/s (2,100 mph).[3] It was last near Earth around 16 January 1981 when it passed about 600,000 km (370,000 mi) from Earth.[3] It will return as a temporary satellite in December 2051.[8][9]

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The object was discovered on 2 July 2022 by Moonbase South Observatory in Namibia when it had a deep Southern Hemisphere declination of –59° in the constellation of Pavo.[1]

With a 56-day observation arc the object shows a 1.2% chance of impacting Earth between the years of 2075–2122.[2] This asteroid experienced a temporarily-captured flyby in 1981, had another one in 2022, and the current observation arc predicts it will become a mini-moon again in 2051.[8][9]

The reflectance spectrum of 2022 NX1 suggests that its origin is not artificial and also that it is not lunar ejecta;[9] it is also different from the V type of the only other mini-moon with available spectroscopy, 2020 CD3. The visible spectrum of 2022 NX1 is consistent with that of a K-type asteroid, although it could also be classified as an Xk type.[9] Considering typical values of the similar albedo of both K-type and Xk-type asteroids and its absolute magnitude, 2022 NX1 may have a size range of 5 to 15 m.[9]

See also

  • 1991 VG – near-Earth asteroid temporarily captured by Earth after its discovery in 1991
  • 2006 RH120 – the first temporary Earth satellite discovered in situ 2006
  • 2020 CD3 – another temporary Earth satellite discovered in 2020
  • 2020 SO – a suspected near-Earth object identified as a rocket booster from the Surveyor 2 mission

References

  1. [1]
    "MPEC 2022-O04 : 2022 NX1". IAU Minor Planet Center. 17 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022. (K22N01X)
  2. [2]
    "Earth Impact Risk Summary: 2022 NX1". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Archived from the original on 27 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  3. [3]
    "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2022 NX1)" (last observation: 2022-08-02; arc: 31 days (167 obs)). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  4. [4]
    "JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris for 2022 NX1 orbit of Earth (geocentric) at epoch 2022-Aug-09". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 21 August 2022. Geocentric solution. Ephemeris Type: Orbital Elements / Center: @399 / Time Span: 2022-Aug-09 (to match infobox epoch)
  5. [5]
    "Horizons Batch for perihelion on 2022-Dec-14". JPL Horizons. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  6. [6]
    "2022 NX1 Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022.
  7. [7]
    "JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris for 2022 NX1 orbit of Earth (geocentric) for June – July 2022". JPL Horizons On-Line Ephemeris System. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022. Geocentric solution. Ephemeris Type: Orbital Elements / Center: @399
  8. [8]
    de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (12 August 2022). "How to Become a Mini-moon: Some Hints from 2022 NX1". Research Notes of the AAS. 6 (8): 160. Bibcode:2022RNAAS...6..160D. doi:10.3847/2515-5172/ac8809. S2CID 251538919.
  9. [9]
    de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl; de León, Julia; de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; Licandro, Javier; Serra-Ricart, Miquel; Cabrera-Lavers, Antonio (2 February 2023). "Mini-moons from horseshoes: A physical characterization of 2022 NX1 with OSIRIS at the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio Canarias". Astronomy & Astrophysics Letters. 670 (1): L10 (8 pages). arXiv:2301.10797. Bibcode:2023A&A...670L..10D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/202245514.
  10. [10]
    "Horizons Batch for June – July 2022 Geocentric distance" (Escaping Earth's Hill Sphere @ ~0.01au). JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 18 July 2022. Retrieved 18 July 2022. (JPL#2/Soln.date: 2022-Jul-18)
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