2017 MZ8

2017 MZ8 (also written 2017 MZ8) is a near-Earth object and a potentially hazardous asteroid, meaning that it has an orbit that can make close approaches to the Earth and large enough to cause significant regional damage in the event of impact. It is an Apollo asteroid, meaning that it is an Earth-crossing asteroid that has an orbit larger than the orbit of the Earth. It was first observed on 22 June 2017, when the asteroid was about 1 AU from Earth[1] and had a solar elongation of 131 degrees.[5]

2017 MZ8
Discovery [1]
Discovered byPan-STARRS
Discovery siteHaleakala Obs.
Discovery date22 June 2017
(first observation only)
Designations
2017 MZ8
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 23 June 2017 (JD 2457927.5)
Uncertainty parameter 9[2] · E[1]
Observation arc1.1 days[3]
Aphelion3.7 AU
Perihelion0.9 AU
2.3 AU
Eccentricity0.6
3.51 yr (1,282 d)
341°±18°
0° 16m 51.24s / day
Inclination4.5°±1°
21°±26°
337°±57°
Earth MOID0.0185 AU (7.2 LD)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter

    This asteroid is a lost asteroid.[6] It has a short observation arc of 1.1 days and has not been seen since 2017, so it has an orbit that is only roughly calculated.

    This asteroid is in both the Risk List[4] of the European Space Agency (ESA) – Space Situational Awareness (SSA) and in the Sentry List[7] of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) - Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS). According to the Sentry List, of the possible close encounters with Earth in the foreseeable future, an encounter on 19 October 2020 has the highest Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale value.[3]

    According to the Near Earth Objects Dynamic Site (NEODyS), of the possible close encounters with Earth in the foreseeable future, an encounter on 20 November 2030 is the most likely.[8] This encounter has a minimum possible distance of zero, meaning that an impact onto Earth is possible.

    See also

    References
    1. "2017 MZ8". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
    2. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2017 MZ8)" (2017-06-23 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 11 September 2020.
    3. "Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring - Object Details 2017 MZ8". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
    4. "ESA space situational awareness 2017MZ8". European Space Agency. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
    5. "JPL HORIZONS Web-Interface (2017 MZ8)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
    6. "NEODyS-2 Risk List". SpaceDys. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
    7. "Sentry: Earth Impact Monitoring - Impact Risk Data". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
    8. "NEODyS-2 - Near Earth Objects - Dynamic Site - 2017MZ8 - Close Approaches". SpaceDys. Retrieved 5 September 2020.
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