2020 HS7

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2020 HS7
Discovery [1] [2]
Discovered by Pan-STARRS 2
Discovery site Haleakala Obs.
Discovery date27 April 2020
Designations
2020 HS7
NEO  · Apollo [3] [1]
Orbital characteristics [3]
Epoch 9 August 2022 (JD 2459800.5)
Uncertainty parameter 6
Observation arc 1 day
Aphelion 2.904 AU
Perihelion 0.793 AU
1.849
Eccentricity 0.5709
2.51 yr (918 days)
308.988°
0° 23m 31.807s / day
Inclination 4.732°
38.531°
245.692°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions a/b ≥ 1.04 [4]
4–8  m [5]
2.9945±0.0002 s [4]
2.9938±0.0002 s [4]
29.10±0.36 [3]

    2020 HS7 is a very small asteroid classified as a near-Earth object of the Earth-crossing Apollo group. When it was discovered by the Pan-STARRS 2 survey on 27 April 2020, the asteroid was initially calculated to have a 10% chance of impact with Earth before being ruled out by improved orbit determinations from additional observations. [6] Although there is now no risk of impact with Earth, it did make a close approach 42,700 kilometres (26,500 mi) from Earth on 28 April 2020, with a flyby speed of 15.6 kilometres per second (9.7 mi/s) relative to Earth. [3] [7] [5] The asteroid will not make any close encounters within 1 lunar distance (380,000 km; 240,000 mi) of Earth in the next 100 years. [3]

    Contents

    Observations by Kiso Observatory in Nagano, Japan show that the asteroid rotates extremely rapidly with a rotation period of 3 seconds, making it the fastest-rotating asteroid known as of 2022. [4] No other near-Earth asteroid of similar size is known to have a rotation period shorter than 10 seconds, which could be attributed to the tangential component of the YORP effect accelerating their rotation far beyond this period. [4] The asteroid exhibits a very small light curve amplitude of 0.07 magnitudes, which either implies a nearly spherical shape or a pole-on rotation during observations. [4]

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 "2020 HS7". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
    2. ↑ "MPEC 2022-F48 : 2022 FD1". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 28 April 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2020 HS7)" (2022-04-28 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 29 July 2020.
    4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Beniyama, Jin; et al. (2022). "Video observations of tiny near-Earth objects with Tomo-e Gozen". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 74 (4): 877–903. arXiv: 2207.07071 . doi:10.1093/pasj/psac043.
    5. 1 2 Bartels, Meghan (5 May 2020). "Tiny asteroid's super-close Earth flyby shows planetary protection in action, scientists say". Space.com .
    6. ↑ "ESA space situational awareness 2020HS7". European Space Agency . Retrieved 29 July 2020.
    7. ↑ Malik, Tariq (28 April 2020). "Small asteroid zips safely by Earth just ahead of a larger space rock's flyby". Space.com .
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