2020 AP1

2020 AP1 is an Apollo near-Earth object roughly 5 meters (20 feet) in diameter. On 2 January 2020 it passed 0.00218 AU (326 thousand km; 0.85 LD) from Earth. With a short 1-day observation arc it is roughly expected to pass about 0.01 AU (1.5 million km; 3.9 LD) from Earth on 7 January 2022, but with an uncertainty of ±8 days for the close approach date it could pass significantly closer or further.

2020 AP1
Discovery[1]
Discovered byMLS
Discovery siteMount Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date4 January 2020
Designations
2020 AP1
NEO–Apollo [2]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 2020-May-31 (JD 2459000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 7
Observation arc1 day
Aphelion2.196 AU (328,500,000 km) (Q)
Perihelion0.9810 AU (146,760,000 km) (q)
1.588 AU (237,600,000 km) (a)
Eccentricity0.3824 (e)
2.002 yr
77.83° (M)
Inclination2.256° (i)
101.2° (Ω)
25 December 2021
349.7° (ω)
Earth MOID0.0014 AU (210,000 km; 0.54 LD)
Jupiter MOID3.0 AU (450,000,000 km)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
3–7 meters (CNEOS)
29.6[2]

    Discovery

    2020 AP1 came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 24 December 2020. On 2 January 2020 it passed 0.00218 AU (326 thousand km; 0.85 LD) from Earth.[2] It was then discovered by the Mount Lemmon Survey on 4 January 2020, when it was 0.006 AU (900 thousand km; 2.3 LD) from Earth and had a solar elongation of 134°.[1] Being such a small and faint asteroid with the bright glare of the waxing gibbous moon in the sky, it was only observed for 1 day. The Earth approach increased the asteroid's orbital period by roughly 21 days.

    2022

    The asteroid will come to perihelion around 25 December 2021. The poorly constrained orbit has the asteroid passing 0.01 AU (1.5 million km; 3.9 LD) from Earth on 7 January 2022 with an uncertainty region of about ±2.5 million km extending over ±8 days.[2]

    The JPL Small-Body Database shows a linear minimum possible distance of 0.000007 AU (1,000 km) from the center of Earth,[2] which would be inside of the 6,371 km radius of Earth. It is not listed on the more thorough Sentry Risk Table[3] because Sentry accounts for orbit propagation nonlinearities along the line of variations and the nonlinearities do not intersect where Earth will be.

    References
    1. "MPEC 2020-A67 : 2020 AP1". IAU Minor Planet Center. 5 January 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020. (K20A01P)
    2. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2020 AP1)" (last observation: 2020-01-05; arc: 1 day). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 17 December 2020. Retrieved 18 December 2020.
    3. 2020 AP1 is not listed on the Sentry Risk Table
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