2022 RM₄

2022 RM₄
	The orbit of 2022 RM4 is highly inclined at 38° and takes 3.8 years to orbit the Sun.
Discovery
Discovered by	Pan-STARRS 2
Discovery date	12 September 2022
Designations
MPC designation	2022 RM4
Minor planet category	Apollo; NEO; PHA;
Orbital characteristics
	Epoch 2022-Aug-09 (JD 2459800.5)
	Uncertainty parameter 5
Observation arc	50 days
Aphelion	3.90 AU (Q)
Perihelion	0.98844 AU (q)
Semi-major axis	2.446 AU (a)
Eccentricity	0.596 (e)
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.83 years
Mean anomaly	337.8° (M)
Inclination	38.31° (i)
Longitude of ascending node	218.2° (Ω)
Time of perihelion	3 November 2022
Argument of perihelion	181.7° (ω)
Earth MOID	0.0032 AU (480 thousand km; 1.2 LD)
Jupiter MOID	1.5 AU (220 million km)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	≈400 m (1,000 ft); 290–650 meters;
Absolute magnitude (H)	19.8

2022 RM₄ is categorized as a potentially hazardous asteroid because it is around 400 meters in diameter^[3]^[a] and makes close approaches to Earth. It was discovered on 12 September 2022 when it was 0.61 AU (91 million km) from Earth and located at declination +65 near the northern circumpolar star Zeta Draconis.^[1]

At 1 November 2022 18:26 UT it passed 0.01536 AU (2,298,000 km; 5.98 LD) from Earth.^[2] As of 1 November 2022 the uncertainty in the close approach distance was ±77 km.^[5] The asteroid should have brighten to about apparent magnitude 14.3 which is roughly the brightness of Pluto and was around 75 degrees from the Sun.^[6] It may have been viewable by experienced amateur observers with a telescope that has an aperture of around 8-inches or better.^[7]

Earth Approach on 1 November 2022^[2]
Date	JPL Horizons nominal geocentric distance (AU)	uncertainty region (3-sigma)
2022-11-01 18:26 ± 00:01	0.01536 AU (2.298 million km)^[2]	±77 km^[8]

By 2 November 2022 the asteroid was better placed for the southern hemisphere with a declination of –32.^[6] Goldstone Solar System Radar using the Canberra Deep Space Communication Complex 70–meter Deep Space Station 43 and Australia Telescope Compact Array observed the asteroid on 2 November 2022.^[9] It then came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on 3 November 2022.^[2]

Notes

^ ^a ^b An absolute magnitude of 19.8 and assumed albedo of 0.14 gives a diameter of 389 meters (or ≈400 meters after rounding).
^ Diameter range based on Minor Planet Center absolute magnitude value of 19.8 and assumed albedo range of 0.25 to 0.05.

References

^ ^a ^b "MPEC 2022-R162 : 2022 RM4". IAU Minor Planet Center. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022. (K22R04M)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2022 RM4)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
^ ^a ^b "ESA Summary: 2022RM4". European Space Agency. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
^ "2022 RM4 Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.
^ Archive of JPL Horizons using JPL #24 solution date 2022-Nov-01
^ ^a ^b "Magnitude near 2022-11-01 close approach". JPL Horizons. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
^ Kelly Kizer Whitt (5 October 2022). "Large asteroid RM4 to pass closely November 1". Earthsky. Retrieved 9 October 2022.
^ "Horizons Batch for 2022-11-01 Close Approach". JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022. RNG_3sigma = uncertainty range in km. (JPL#24/Soln.date: 2022-Nov-01 generates RNG_3sigma = 77 km)
^ Dr. Lance A. M. Benner. "Goldstone Asteroid Schedule". NASA Asteroid Radar Research. Retrieved 28 October 2022.

External links

Animation showing 2022RM4 approach from the Northern Hemisphere and exit the Southern Hemisphere – Tony Dunn
Potentially Hazardous Asteroid 2022 RM4 close encounter: a image – 14 Oct. 2022
2022 RM4 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- Ephemerides · Observation prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Observational info · Close approaches · Physical info · Orbit animation
2022 RM4 at ESA–space situational awareness
- Ephemerides · Observations · Orbit · Physical properties · Summary
2022 RM4 at the JPL Small-Body Database
- Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

[esa-size-4] An absolute magnitude of 19.8 and assumed albedo of 0.14 gives a diameter of 389 meters (or ≈400 meters after rounding).

[range-5] Diameter range based on Minor Planet Center absolute magnitude value of 19.8 and assumed albedo range of 0.25 to 0.05.

[MPEC2022-R162-1] "MPEC 2022-R162 : 2022 RM4". IAU Minor Planet Center. 25 September 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022. (K22R04M)

[jpldata-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2022 RM4)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 28 October 2022.

[esa-3] "ESA Summary: 2022RM4". European Space Agency. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 9 October 2022.

[MPC-object-6] "2022 RM4 Orbit". Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on 31 October 2022. Retrieved 31 October 2022.

[Archive221101-7] Archive of JPL Horizons using JPL #24 solution date 2022-Nov-01

[Mag2022-8] "Magnitude near 2022-11-01 close approach". JPL Horizons. Retrieved 9 October 2022.

[Earthsky-9] Kelly Kizer Whitt (5 October 2022). "Large asteroid RM4 to pass closely November 1". Earthsky. Retrieved 9 October 2022.

[CA2022-10] "Horizons Batch for 2022-11-01 Close Approach". JPL Horizons. Archived from the original on 9 October 2022. Retrieved 1 November 2022. RNG_3sigma = uncertainty range in km. (JPL#24/Soln.date: 2022-Nov-01 generates RNG_3sigma = 77 km)

[Goldstone-11] Dr. Lance A. M. Benner. "Goldstone Asteroid Schedule". NASA Asteroid Radar Research. Retrieved 28 October 2022.

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See also

Notes

References

External links