2020 OY₄

2020 OY₄ is an asteroid classified as a Near-Earth Object (NEO) that passed within 21,850 miles (35,160 km) of the surface of the Earth on July 28, 2020, with a fly-by speed of 12.4 kilometres (7.7 mi) per second.[2] The car-sized asteroid posed no risk of impact to Earth, but it did pass within the orbit of satellites in the geostationary ring at 35,785 kilometres (22,236 mi) above Earth's equator.[1]

2020 OY₄

Discovery [1] [2] [3]
Discovery site	Mount Lemmon Survey
Discovery date	July 26, 2020
Designations
MPC designation	2020 OY4
Alternative designations	E2020-OD3[4]
Minor planet category	Apollo (NEO)[3]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch J2000.0
Aphelion	1.413 AU
Perihelion	0.625 AU
Eccentricity	0.387
Orbital period	376 days
Inclination	3.592°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	2–5 m[2]
Absolute magnitude (H)	30.2[3]

The asteroid was discovered July 26, 2020 using the Mount Lemmon Survey telescope in the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson, Arizona.[2] The next encounter closer than the Moon is predicted to occur July 30, 2055 at a distance of 200,000 kilometres (124,000 mi) or more.[3]

References

1. Malik, Tariq (July 28, 2020). "An asteroid the size of a car just zipped by Earth in close flyby". Space.com.
2. "CAFS for 2020 OY4". ESA's NEO Coordination Centre. Retrieved July 28, 2020.
3. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser (2020 OY4)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved July 29, 2020.
4. "IAU Minor Planet Center 2020 OY4". International Astronomical Union. Retrieved July 29, 2020.