List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2015

Last updated

Time of discovery of asteroids which came closer to Earth than the Moon in 2015
Circle frame.svgAfter closest approach: 17 (63.0%)< 24 hours before: 3 (11.1%)up to 7 days before: 6 (22.2%)> one week before: 1 (3.7%)> 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)> one year before: 0 (0.0%)
  •   After closest approach: 17 (63.0%)
  •   < 24 hours before: 3 (11.1%)
  •   up to 7 days before: 6 (22.2%)
  •   > one week before: 1 (3.7%)
  •   > 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)
  •   > one year before: 0 (0.0%)
Other Years
2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017

Below is the list of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2015.

Contents

Timeline of known close approaches less than one lunar distance from Earth in 2015

A list of known near-Earth asteroid close approaches less than 1 lunar distance (384,400 km or 0.00256 AU) from Earth in 2015. [note 1]

Note this data does not include any of the 43 objects that collided with earth in 2015, none of which were discovered in advance, but were recorded by sensors designed to detect detonation of nuclear devices (of the 43 objects detected, 2 had an impact energy greater than that of a 1 kiloton device). [1]

  Rows highlighted red indicate objects which were not discovered until after closest approach

  Rows highlighted yellow indicate objects discovered less than 24 hours before closest approach

  Rows highlighted green indicate objects discovered more than one week before closest approach

  Rows highlighted turquoise indicate objects discovered more than 7 weeks before closest approach

  Rows highlighted blue indicate objects discovered more than one year before closest approach (i.e.
objects successfully cataloged on a previous orbit, rather than being detected during final approach)

Date of
closest
approach		Date
discovered		 Object Nominal geocentric
distance (AU) [note 2] 		Nominal geocentric
distance (LD)		Size (m)
(approximate)		(H)
(abs. mag)		Closer
approach
to Moon 		Refs [2] [3]
2015-01-142015-01-152015 AQ430.00105  AU (157,000  km ; 98,000  mi )0.416–1328.1 [4] data  · 2015 AQ43
2015-01-182015-01-27 2015 BP513 0.00160 AU (239,000 km; 149,000 mi)0.6212–2726.7 [5] Yes data  · 2015 BP513
2015-01-202015-01-212015 BE5110.00108 AU (162,000 km; 100,000 mi)0.424–928.9 [6] data  · 2015 BE511
2015-02-112015-02-122015 CH130.00189 AU (283,000 km; 176,000 mi)0.735–1128.5 [7] data  · 2015 CH13
2015-02-172015-02-182015 DD10.000262 AU (39,200 km; 24,400 mi)0.102–530.4 [8] data  · 2015 DD1
2015-02-182015-02-192015 DQ2240.000723 AU (108,200 km; 67,200 mi)0.303–929.3 [9] data  · 2015 DQ224
2015-03-102015-03-112015 ET0.000835 AU (124,900 km; 77,600 mi)0.3210–3226.7 [10] data  · 2015 ET
2015-03-122015-03-112015 EO60.000732 AU (109,500 km; 68,000 mi)0.282–930.2 [11] data  · 2015 EO6
2015-03-162015-03-172015 FU3440.00255 AU (381,000 km; 237,000 mi)0.992–431.0 [12] data  · 2015 FU344
2015-03-282015-03-252015 FM1180.00238 AU (356,000 km; 221,000 mi)0.924–1128.7 [13] data  · 2015 FM118
2015-04-122015-04-112015 GU0.000739 AU (110,600 km; 68,700 mi)0.295–1128.4 [14] data  · 2015 GU
2015-04-142015-04-162015 HG1820.00220 AU (329,000 km; 205,000 mi)0.864–1128.9 [15] Yes data  · 2015 HG182
2015-04-162015-04-152015 GL130.00124 AU (186,000 km; 115,000 mi)0.484–928.8 [16] Yes data  · 2015 GL13
2015-04-212015-04-182015 HD10.000395 AU (59,100 km; 36,700 mi)0.158–1927.4 [17] data  · 2015 HD1
2015-05-152015-05-122015 JF10.00208 AU (311,000 km; 193,000 mi)0.816–1328.1 [18] Yes data  · 2015 JF1
2015-05-232015-05-252015 KW1210.00191 AU (286,000 km; 178,000 mi)0.7412–4026.1 [19] data  · 2015 KW121
2015-06-082015-06-072015 LF0.00132 AU (197,000 km; 123,000 mi)0.5110–3526.6 [20] data  · 2015 LF
2015-08-062015-08-072015 PK0.000531 AU (79,400 km; 49,400 mi)0.215–1528.1 [21] data  · 2015 PK
2015-09-222015-09-242015 SK70.000178 AU (26,600 km; 16,500 mi)0.0693–1428.9 [22] data  · 2015 SK7
2015-10-132015-10-11 2015 TC25 0.000741 AU (110,900 km; 68,900 mi)0.292 [23] 29.5 [24] data  · 2015 TC25
2015-10-222015-10-242015 UM520.000871 AU (130,300 km; 81,000 mi)0.347–1627.8 [25] data  · 2015 UM52
2015-11-052015-11-072015 VP640.00187 AU (280,000 km; 174,000 mi)0.735–1328.3 [26] Yes data  · 2015 VP64
2015-11-062015-11-082015 VU640.000671 AU (100,400 km; 62,400 mi)0.262–430.6 [27] data  · 2015 VU64
2015-11-152015-11-142015 VY1050.000231 AU (34,600 km; 21,500 mi)0.0904–929.0 [28] data  · 2015 VY105
2015-11-202015-11-212015 WP20.00153 AU (229,000 km; 142,000 mi)0.601–530.1 [29] Yes data  · 2015 WP2
2015-12-132015-12-162015 YJ0.000477 AU (71,400 km; 44,300 mi)0.195–1828.0 [30] data  · 2015 YJ
2015-12-152015-12-06 2015 XY261 0.00193 AU (289,000 km; 179,000 mi)0.758–2527.1 [31] data  · 2015 XY261

Warning Times by Size

This sub-section visualises the warning times of the close approaches listed in the above table, depending on the size of the asteroid. The sizes of the charts show the relative sizes of the asteroids to scale. For comparison, the approximate size of a person is also shown. This is based the absolute magnitude of each asteroid, an approximate measure of size based on brightness.

Abs Magnitude 30 and greater

Silhouette of man standing and facing forward Silhouette of man standing and facing forward.svg
Silhouette of man standing and facing forward

(size of a person for comparison)

Circle frame.svgAfter closest approach: 4 (80.0%)< 24 hours before: 1 (20.0%)up to 7 days before: 0 (0.0%)> one week before: 0 (0.0%)> 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)> one year before: 0 (0.0%)

Abs Magnitude 29-30

Circle frame.svgAfter closest approach: 1 (33.3%)< 24 hours before: 1 (33.3%)up to 7 days before: 1 (33.3%)> one week before: 0 (0.0%)> 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)> one year before: 0 (0.0%)

Absolute Magnitude 28-29

Circle frame.svgAfter closest approach: 8 (66.7%)< 24 hours before: 1 (8.3%)up to 7 days before: 3 (25.0%)> one week before: 0 (0.0%)> 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)> one year before: 0 (0.0%)

Absolute Magnitude 27-28

Circle frame.svgAfter closest approach: 1 (33.3%)< 24 hours before: 0 (0.0%)up to 7 days before: 1 (33.3%)> one week before: 1 (33.3%)> 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)> one year before: 0 (0.0%)

Absolute Magnitude 26-27

Circle frame.svgAfter closest approach: 3 (75.0%)< 24 hours before: 0 (0.0%)up to 7 days before: 1 (25.0%)> one week before: 0 (0.0%)> 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)> one year before: 0 (0.0%)
  •   After closest approach: 3 (75.0%)
  •   < 24 hours before: 0 (0.0%)
  •   up to 7 days before: 1 (25.0%)
  •   > one week before: 0 (0.0%)
  •   > 7 weeks before: 0 (0.0%)
  •   > one year before: 0 (0.0%)

Notes

  1. ↑ For a list of current Earth close approaches see NEO Earth Close Approaches
  2. ↑ Distance from the center of Earth to the center of the object. See the NASA/JPL Solar System Dynamics Glossary: Geocentric. Earth has a radius of approximately 6,400 km.

Additional examples

2015 TB145 was radar imaged in late October 2015 Skull2015-TB145.jpg
2015 TB145 was radar imaged in late October 2015

An example list of near-Earth asteroids that passed more than 1 lunar distance (384,400 km or 0.00256 AU) from Earth in 2015.

Timeline of close approaches less than one Lunar distance from the Moon in 2015

The number of asteroids listed here are significantly less than those of asteroids approaching Earth for several reasons:

These factors combined severely limit the amount of Moon-approaching asteroids, to a level many times lower than the detected asteroids to pass just as close to Earth instead.

Date of
closest
approach		Object Nominal lunocentric
distance (AU) [note2 1] 		Nominal lunocentric
distance (LD)		Size (m)
(approximate)		(H)
approach
distance
to Earth
(LD)
2015-01-122015 BY30.00212 AU (317,000 km; 197,000 mi)0.827–2227.5 [34] 1.43
2015-01-18 2015 BP513 0.000824 AU (123,300 km; 76,600 mi)0.3210–3126.7 [5] 0.62
2015-02-162015 DD10.00179 AU (268,000 km; 166,000 mi)0.692–530.4 [8] 0.10
2015-02-172015 DQ2240.00166 AU (248,000 km; 154,000 mi)0.653–929.3 [9] 0.30
2015-03-102015 ET0.00146 AU (218,000 km; 136,000 mi)0.5710–3226.7 [10] 0.32
2015-04-122015 GU0.00159 AU (238,000 km; 148,000 mi)0.625–1128.4 [14] 0.29
2015-04-142015 HG1820.00103 AU (154,000 km; 96,000 mi)0.404–1128.9 [15] 0.86
2015-04-162015 GL130.00112 AU (168,000 km; 104,000 mi)0.444–928.8 [16] 0.48
2015-04-212015 HD10.00186 AU (278,000 km; 173,000 mi)0.728–1927.4 [17] 0.15
2015-05-152015 JF10.00196 AU (293,000 km; 182,000 mi)0.766–1328.1 [18] 0.81
2015-07-242015 OQ210.00228 AU (341,000 km; 212,000 mi)0.896–1827.9 [35] 1.48
2015-09-222015 SK70.00245 AU (367,000 km; 228,000 mi)0.953–1428.9 [22] 0.069
2015-10-14 2015 TC25 0.00143 AU (214,000 km; 133,000 mi)0.563–929.5 [24] 0.29
2015-10-31 2015 TB145 0.00191 AU (286,000 km; 178,000 mi)0.7460020.0 [36] 1.27
2015-11-052015 VP640.000758 AU (113,400 km; 70,500 mi)0.295–1328.3 [26] 0.73
2015-11-062015 VU640.00188 AU (281,000 km; 175,000 mi)0.732–430.6 [27] 0.26
2015-11-152015 VY1050.00197 AU (295,000 km; 183,000 mi)0.774–929.0 [28] 0.090
2015-11-202015 WP20.00115 AU (172,000 km; 107,000 mi)0.451–530.1 [29] 0.60
2015-11-222015 VO1420.00218 AU (326,000 km; 203,000 mi)0.853–1129.0 [37] 1.02
2015-12-132015 YJ0.000970 AU (145,100 km; 90,200 mi)0.385–1828.2 [30] 0.19
2015-12-142015 XR1690.00180 AU (269,000 km; 167,000 mi)0.704–1228.7 [38] 1.32
2015-12-212015 YQ10.00165 AU (247,000 km; 153,000 mi)0.645–1728.0 [39] 1.45

Notes

  1. ↑ Distance from the center of the Moon to the center of the object. the Moon has a radius of approximately 1,740 km.

See also

Related Research Articles

2009 RR micro-asteroid, classified as near-Earth object of the Apollo group. It was discovered on 11 September 2009 by the Catalina Sky Survey at an apparent magnitude of 19.5 using a 0.68-meter (27 in) Schmidt–Cassegrain telescope. 2009 RR was the only asteroid discovered before 2014 that was predicted to potentially pass inside the orbit of the Moon during 2014. The asteroid has an estimated diameter of 26 meters (85 ft) and is listed on the Sentry Risk Table. It is not large enough to qualify as a potentially hazardous object.

<span class="nowrap">(357439) 2004 BL<sub>86</sub></span>

(357439) 2004 BL86 is a bright sub-kilometer asteroid and binary system, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group, approximately 300 meters (980 ft) in diameter. It was discovered on 30 January 2004 by astronomers of the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research at Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site near Socorro, New Mexico. Its 70-meter (200 ft) moon was discovered during the asteroid's close approach to the Earth in January 2015.

2014 XL7 is a near-Earth object and Apollo asteroid, approximately 230 meters (750 feet) in diameter. It was the most dangerous potentially hazardous asteroid on Sentry Risk Table upon its discovery by the Mount Lemmon Survey in December 2014. At the time, the asteroid had a cumulative 1 in 83000 chance of impacting Earth on 4–5 June between the years 2048 and 2084. After the object's observation arc had been extended to 35 days, it was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on 15 January 2015. Since then the asteroid's orbit has been secured. Although it has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance of less than one lunar distance, there are no projected close encounters with Earth in the foreseeable future, with its closest passage to occur in May 2046, still millions of kilometers away.

2015 BP513 (also written 2015 BP513) is an Apollo near-Earth asteroid roughly 12–27 meters in diameter that passed less than 1 lunar distance from Earth on 18 January 2015.

<span class="nowrap">2015 TB<sub>145</sub></span> Asteroid

2015 TB145 is a sub-kilometer asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group, approximately 650 meters (2,000 feet) in diameter. It safely passed 1.27 lunar distances from Earth on 31 October 2015 at 17:01 UTC, and passed by Earth again in November 2018.

<span class="nowrap">2018 CN<sub>2</sub></span>

2018 CN2 is a very small asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 5 to 16 meters in diameter. It was first observed by astronomers of the Mount Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, on 8 February 2018, one day prior its close encounter with Earth at 0.18 lunar distances.

<span class="nowrap">2018 DV<sub>1</sub></span>

2018 DV1 is a micro-asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Aten group, approximately 6–12 meters (20–40 feet) in diameter. It was first observed on 26 February 2018, by astronomers of the Mount Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory, Arizona, five days prior to its sub-lunar close encounter with Earth at less than 0.3 lunar distance.

<span class="nowrap">2018 GE<sub>3</sub></span>

2018 GE3 is a sub-kilometer asteroid on a highly eccentric orbit, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately 48–110 meters (160–360 feet) in diameter. It was first observed on 14 April 2018, by astronomers with the Catalina Sky Survey one day prior to its sub-lunar close encounter with Earth at 0.5 lunar distance. It is one of the largest known asteroids (possibly the largest) in observational history to ever pass that close to Earth (also see list).

<span class="nowrap">2010 WC<sub>9</sub></span>

2010 WC9, unofficially designated ZJ99C60, is a sub-kilometer near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group, approximately 100 meters (330 feet) in diameter. First observed for eleven days by the Catalina Sky Survey in 2010, the asteroid was recovered in May 2018 during its sub-lunar close encounter with Earth.

2015 XY261 (also written 2015 XY261) is an Apollo near-Earth asteroid that is also a Mars crosser. It is roughly 10–22 meters in diameter and passed less than 1 lunar distance, 0.0025696 AU (384,410 km; 238,860 mi) from Earth on 15 December 2015.

2019 GC6 is a very small near-Earth asteroid and potentially hazardous object of the Apollo group, approximately 20 meters (70 ft) in diameter. It was detected by the Catalina Sky Survey at Catalina Station on 9 April 2019, a few days before it made its first-observed pass through the cislunar region at a distance of 136,000 miles (219,000 km), comparable to roughly half the average distance from the Earth to the Moon (0.58 LD).

2011 ES4 (also written 2011 ES4) is an Apollo near-Earth asteroid roughly 22–49 meters (72–160 feet) in diameter. It was first observed on 2 March 2011 when the asteroid was about 0.054 AU (8,100,000 km; 5,000,000 mi) from Earth and had a solar elongation of 159 degrees. It passed closest approach to Earth on 13 March 2011. Before the 2020 approach, the asteroid had a short observation arc of 4 days and had not been observed since March 2011. The asteroid was expected to pass within 1 lunar distance of Earth in early September 2020, but did not. There was no risk of a 2020 impact because the line of variation (LOV) did not pass through where Earth would be, and the closest possible 2020 Earth approach was about 0.00047 AU (70,000 km; 44,000 mi). One line of variation showed the asteroid passing closest to Earth on 5 September 2020 at 0.06 AU (9,000,000 km; 5,600,000 mi) with a magnitude of 23, which would place it near the limiting magnitude of even the best automated astronomical surveys.

References

  1. ↑ NASA.gov
  2. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser". JPL Solar System Dynamics. NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
  3. ↑ "MPC Database". IAU Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  4. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 AQ43)" (last observation: 2015-01-23).
  5. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 BP513)" (last observation: 2015-01-29).
  6. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 BE511)" (last observation: 2015-01-28).
  7. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 CH13)" (last observation: 2015-02-14).
  8. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 DD1)" (last observation: 2015-02-25).
  9. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 DQ224)" (last observation: 2015-02-19).
  10. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 ET)" (last observation: 2015-03-25).
  11. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 EO6)" (last observation: 2015-03-11).
  12. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 FU344)" (last observation: 2015-03-18).
  13. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 FM118)" (last observation: 2015-03-28).
  14. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 GU)" (last observation: 2015-04-12).
  15. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 HG182)" (last observation: 2015-04-17).
  16. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 GL13)" (last observation: 2015-04-16).
  17. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 HD1)" (last observation: 2015-04-21).
  18. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 JF1)" (last observation: 2015-05-14).
  19. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 KW121)" (last observation: 2015-05-28).
  20. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 LF)" (last observation: 2015-06-08).
  21. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 PK)" (last observation: 2015-08-08).
  22. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 SK7)" (last observation: 2015-10-13).
  23. ↑ Wall, Mike. "6-Foot Wide 'Bald' Asteroid Is Smallest Ever Studied". space.com. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
  24. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 TC25)" (last observation: 2015-10-18).
  25. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 UM52)" (last observation: 2015-10-25).
  26. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 VP64)" (last observation: 2015-11-08).
  27. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 VU64)" (last observation: 2015-11-10).
  28. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 VY105)" (last observation: 2015-11-15).
  29. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 WP2)" (last observation: 2015-11-23).
  30. 1 2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 YJ)" (last observation: 2015-12-18).
  31. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 XY261)" (last observation: 2015-12-13).
  32. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 AK1)" (last observation: 2015-01-16).
  33. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 BC)" (last observation: 2015-01-17).
  34. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 BY3)" (last observation: 2015-01-23).
  35. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 OQ21)" (last observation: 2015-07-25).
  36. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 TB145)" (last observation: 2015-11-01).
  37. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 VO142)" (last observation: 2015-11-22).
  38. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 XR169)" (last observation: 2015-12-13).
  39. ↑ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2015 YQ1)" (last observation: 2015-12-22).
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