2014 RC

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2014 RC
2014RC Radar Sep07.jpg
2014 RC imaged by the Goldstone Radar on 7 September 2014
Discovery [1] [2] [3]
Discovered by CSS
Discovery site Catalina Stn.
Discovery date1 September 2014
(first observed only)
Designations
2014 RC
NEO  · Apollo [3] [4]
Orbital characteristics [4]
Epoch 1 July 2021 (JD 2459396.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3 [3] [4]
Observation arc 18 days w/Radar
Aphelion 1.8064 AU
Perihelion 0.8211 AU
1.3138 AU
Eccentricity 0.3750
1.51 yr (550 d)
155.44°
0° 39m 16.2s / day
Inclination 4.5687°
344.91°
71.090°
Earth  MOID 0.0003 AU (0.1169 LD)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions>22  m (largest axis) [5]
Mean diameter
~12–25 m (est.) [6]
0.004389  h (15.80  s) [7] [8]
S/q [5] [8]
28 (Nov/Dec 2014)
26.8 [3] [4]

    2014 RC is a sub-kilometer near-Earth object and Apollo asteroid. The exceptionally fast rotator passed within 0.000267  AU (39,900  km ; 24,800  mi ) (0.1 lunar distances) of Earth on 7 September 2014. The asteroid is approximately the diameter of the Chelyabinsk meteor, [5] and passed almost as close to Earth as 367943 Duende (2012 DA14) did in 2013.

    Contents

    With an absolute magnitude of 26.8, [4] the asteroid is about 11–25 meters (36–82 ft) in diameter depending on the albedo. [6] Observations by the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility conclude the asteroid is a fairly bright Sq-class asteroid which have an average albedo of around 0.24, and would give the asteroid a spherical equivalent diameter of 12 meters (39 ft). [5] Measurements by multiple telescopes indicate that the asteroid rotates in 15.8 seconds making it one of the fastest rotating asteroids so far discovered. [5] [8] Using the 15.8 second rotation period, more accurate radar observations by Goldstone shows the asteroid has a largest axis of at least 22 meters (72 ft). [5] Due to the asteroid's fast rotation, it is a monolith and not a rubble pile.

    On 8 September 2115 the asteroid will pass about 0.0053  AU (790,000  km ; 490,000  mi ) from the Moon. [4] On 5 September 1973, the asteroid passed between 0.01052 AU (1,574,000 km; 978,000 mi) and 0.01207 AU (1,806,000 km; 1,122,000 mi) from Earth. [4] 2014 RC was removed from the JPL Sentry Risk Table on 5 September 2014 and there are no known possible impact dates in the next 100 years. [9]

    2014 approach

    It made a close approach to Earth of 0.000267  AU (39,900  km ; 24,800  mi ) (0.1 LD) around 18:02 UTC on 7 September 2014. [4] [10] [11] The asteroid briefly brightened to about apparent magnitude 11.5, [12] but it was still not visible to the naked eye or common binoculars. At the peak brightness the asteroid had a declination of –47, [12] and was most easily visible over New Zealand. During 2014, asteroids 2014 AA and 2014 LY21 have come closer to Earth.

    Asteroid 2014 RC [11]
    Asteroid-2014RC-20140903b.jpg
    Path around the Sun  3 September 2014.
    Asteroid-2014RC-20140903a.jpg
    Path near the Earth  7 September 2014.

    The Managua explosion on 6 September 2014 may or may not have been created by a bolide that was missed by millions of people, but either way it was not caused by the close approach of 2014 RC. [5]

    Orbital shift

    During the 2014 Earth close approach the orbital period of 2014 RC was reduced from 600 days to 549 days. [13] The orbital eccentricity decreased while the orbital inclination increased.

    Parameter Epoch Aphelion
    (Q)
    Perihelion
    (q)
    Semi-major axis
    (a)
    Eccentricity
    (e)
    Period
    (p)
    Inclination
    (i)
    Longitude ascending node
    (Ω)
    Mean anomaly
    (M)
    Argument of perihelion
    (ω)
    Units AU (days)(°)
    Pre-flyby2014-09-011.94880.83441.39160.4004599.621.4395°345.48°326.12°65.879°
    flyby2014-09-07 18:02 UTC2.02840.81501.42170.4267619.171.4217°345.09°330.91°68.602°
    Post-flyby2014-10-011.80420.82071.31240.3747549.184.5744°345.01°340.41°71.187°

    Close-approach table

    ObjectDate (UTC)Date
    error
    (hours)
    Nominal
    distance
    (AU)
    Nominal
    distance
    (LD)
    Minimum
    distance
    (AU)
    Minimum
    distance
    (LD)
    Apparent
    magnitude
    (V)
    Earth1945-09-06 05:5347.160.004421.720.001010.3917.3
    Moon1945-09-06 14:3352.480.005081.980.001030.40
    Mars1957-10-09 13:555.400.0637124.780.0526720.49
    Earth1973-09-05 21:420.620.011694.550.010894.2419.3
    Earth1987-01-17 01:020.300.0372414.490.0368614.3422.4
    Earth1991-09-27 05:381.030.0991138.550.0987838.4327.0
    Mars1999-09-22 14:00<0.010.0373914.540.0371214.44
    Earth2009-12-30 13:100.280.0863433.590.0862233.5426.0
    Moon2014-09-07 08:47<0.010.0008450.3290.0008450.329
    Earth2014-09-07 18:02<0.010.0002670.1040.0002670.10415.9
    Earth2017-09-11 13:500.150.0386415.030.0385014.9823.3
    Earth2020-09-22 21:240.350.0990838.540.0989338.4826.1
    Earth2039-01-21 23:380.130.0622424.210.0621524.1824.0
    Earth2042-01-27 18:190.100.0632224.590.0631324.5623.6
    Earth2109-09-01 16:270.070.0995938.740.0994538.6924.7
    Earth2112-09-06 21:130.080.022538.760.022418.7221.1
    Moon2115-09-08 19:110.150.005582.170.0053502.08
    Earth2115-09-08 22:500.170.007853.050.007632.9718.5
    Mars2140-10-13 22:422.850.0715227.820.0547121.28
    Earth2159-02-02 22:1716.900.0808431.450.0556321.6424.2
    Earth2162-01-19 14:0438.850.0937636.470.0727328.2925.2
    Earth2170-09-19 02:089.120.0741328.840.0670726.0925.1
    Earth2173-09-04 16:521.380.0612323.820.0595023.1523.5

    See also

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    References

    1. "MPEC 2014-R23 : 2014 RC". IAU Minor Planet Center. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014. (K14R00C)
    2. "MPEC 2014-R26 : 2014 RC". IAU Minor Planet Center. 3 September 2014. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
    3. 1 2 3 4 "2014 RC". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2014 RC)" (2014-09-07 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Reports of Meteorite Strike in Nicaragua and Update on Asteroid 2014 RC". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Archived from the original on 11 October 2014. Retrieved 9 September 2014.
    6. 1 2 "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    7. "LCDB Data for (2014+RC)". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 7 September 2021.
    8. 1 2 3 Devogèle, Maxime; Moskovitz, Nicholas; Thirouin, Audrey; Gustaffson, Annika; Magnuson, Mitchell; Thomas, Cristina; et al. (November 2019). "Visible Spectroscopy from the Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey (MANOS): Taxonomic Dependence on Asteroid Size". The Astronomical Journal. 158 (5): 196. arXiv: 1909.04788 . Bibcode:2019AJ....158..196D. doi: 10.3847/1538-3881/ab43dd . ISSN   0004-6256. S2CID   202558821.
    9. "Date/Time Removed". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Archived from the original on 2 June 2002. Retrieved 5 September 2014.
    10. "NASA reports asteroid to pass close, but safely past Earth". clarksvilleonline.com. Clarksville Online. 4 September 2014. Retrieved 4 September 2014.
    11. 1 2 Agle, DC; Brown, Dwayne (3 September 2014). "Small Asteroid to Safely Pass Close to Earth Sunday". NASA . Retrieved 7 September 2014.
    12. 1 2 "2014RC Ephemerides for 7 September 2014". NEODyS (Near Earth Objects  Dynamic Site). Retrieved 5 September 2014.
    13. Horizons output. "Horizon Online Ephemeris System" . Retrieved 7 September 2014. ("Ephemeris Type: Elements" PR value)