 Collage of radar images taken byGoldstone on 26 December 2020 | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Pan-STARRS |
| Discovery date | 22 September 2014 |
| Designations | |
| (501647)2014 SD224 | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 2020-May-31 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 1 | |
| Observation arc | 6.3 years |
| Aphelion | 1.3015AU |
| Perihelion | 0.65406 |
| 0.97779 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.33107 |
| 353.15 days (0.97 years) | |
| 75.398° | |
| Inclination | 4.5484° |
| 286.44° | |
| 277.11° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.017 AU (2.5 million km) |
| Venus MOID | 0.024 AU (3.6 million km) |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.66 AU (548 million km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 92–210 meters (CNEOS) ~150 m (490 ft) | |
| 22.3[2] | |
(501647) 2014 SD224 is anAtennear-Earth asteroid around 150 meters (490 feet) in diameter. It was discovered on 22 September 2014 when the asteroid was 0.29 AU (43 million km; 110 LD) from Earth and had asolar elongation of 123 degrees. The glare of the Sun had masked the approach of the asteroid as it passed closest approach to Earth on 11 August 2014.[2][a] The asteroid now has a 6-yearobservation arc and a well-determined orbit. It also makes close approaches toVenus.
2014 SD224 was less than 90 degrees from the Sun until September 2020 when it still had a very faintapparent magnitude of 24. The asteroid was recovered on 22 November 2020 byMt. Lemmon Survey. The asteroid came toopposition (opposite the Sun in the sky) on 12 December 2020 when it had a solar elongation of 149 degrees and a magnitude of 18.[3] It reached a peak brightness on 23 December 2020 at magnitude 16.4, which is still fainter thanPluto.
The asteroid safely passed closest approach to Earth on 25 December 2020 at 20:20UT at a distance of 0.02 AU (3.0 million km; 7.8 LD).[2] The 2020 close approach distance is known with an accuracy of roughly ±20 km.
2020 in space | ||
|---|---|---|
| Space probe launches  |
|   _on_Jul_14_2020_aligned_to_stars.jpg) |
| Impact events | ||
| Selected NEOs | ||
| Exoplanets |
| |
| Discoveries |
| |
| Comets | ||
| Space exploration |
| |
