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