List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2020

Asteroids which came closer to Earth than the Moon in 2020 by time of discovery

Asteroids which came closer to Earth than the Moon in 2020 by discoverer

Prediction accuracy for asteroids of magnitude 27 or larger predicted to pass within 1 lunar distance of Earth in 2020 Below is the list of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2020.

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

A list of known near-Earth asteroid close approaches less than 1 lunar distance () from Earth in 2020, based on the close approach database of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies (CNEOS).

For reference, the radius of Earth is about or 0.0166 lunar distances. Geosynchronous satellites have an orbit with semi-major axis length of or 0.110 lunar distances. A number of known asteroids came closer than this in 2020, notably 2020 CW, 2020 JJ, 2020 QG, and which all approached Earth within 0.05 lunar distances. At from the center of the Earth or about above the surface of the Earth, the 13 November 2020 close approach of was the closest approach of an asteroid ever observed without atmospheric contact, and still holds this record .

Two objects have been observed to be temporary satellites of Earth: in February 2020 and 2020 SO in September 2020, albeit the latter has been confirmed to be a rocket booster from the Surveyor 2 mission launched in 1966, leading to its de-listing as asteroid.

The largest asteroid to pass within 1 LD of Earth in 2020 was with an estimated diameter of around 145 meters and an absolute magnitude of 22.4. The fastest asteroid to pass within 1 LD of Earth in 2020 was that passed Earth with a velocity with respect to Earth of . passed Earth with a velocity with respect to Earth of 33.4 km/s and was moving away from the Sun at 38.6 km/s.

The CNEOS database of close approaches lists some close approaches a full orbit or more before the discovery of the object, derived by orbit calculation. The list below only includes close approaches that are evidenced by observations, thus the pre-discovery close approaches are only included if the object was found by precovery.

This list and the relevant databases do not consider impacts as close approaches, thus this list does not include any of the objects that collided with Earth's atmosphere in 2020, none of which were discovered in advance, but were observed visually or recorded by sensors designed to detect detonation of nuclear devices.

Date ofclosestapproachDatediscovered Object Nominal geocentric distanceDistance 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 (0.0166 LD).Approx.size (m)(H)(abs. mag.)Closerapproachto MoonObjects that approached closer to the Moon than Earth are marked with a check. References (AU)(Lunardistance) 2020-01-02 2020-01-04 0.850 3.2–7.1 29.6 2020-01-20 2020-01-22 0.778 11–25 26.9 — 2020-01-22 2020-01-23 0.691 3.1–6.8 29.7 — 2020-01-25 2020-01-24 0.183 5.1–11 28.6 — 2020-01-27 2020-01-28 0.514 4.4–9.9 28.9 — 2020-01-28 2020-01-30 0.980 8.8–20 27.4 2020-01-29 2020-01-28 0.279 2.8–6.2 29.9 — 2020-01-31 2020-02-02 0.819 3.5–7.8 29.4 — 2020-01-31 2020-02-02 0.919 11–25 26.9 2020-02-01 2020-02-01 0.041 0.82–1.8 32.6 — 2020-02-02 2020-02-01 0.570 3.2–7.1 29.6 — 2020-02-03 2020-01-31 0.489 7.7–17 27.7 — 2020-02-04 2020-02-05 0.168 4.5–10 28.9 — 2020-02-13 2020-02-16 0.845 4.8–11 28.7 2020-02-13 2020-02-15 0.122 1.2–2.7 31.7 — 2020-02-14 2020-02-15 0.385 5.1–11 28.6 — 2020-02-17 2020-02-17 0.312 2.3–5.2 30.3 — 2020-02-18 2020-02-17 0.503 2.9–6.5 29.8 — 2020-02-18 2020-02-16 0.628 2.2–4.9 30.4 — 2020-02-25 2020-02-27 0.242 3.0–6.7 29.8 — 2020-03-14 2020-03-17 0.852 19–43 25.7 — 2020-03-18 2020-03-16 0.667 7.8–17 27.7 2020-03-19 2020-03-23 0.491 11–25 26.9 — 2020-03-22 2020-03-19 0.384 16–36 26.1 — 2020-03-25 2020-03-24 0.668 3.3–7.5 29.5 — 2020-03-31 2020-03-31 0.203 16–36 26.1 — 2020-04-01 2020-04-02 0.180 8.0–18 27.6 — 2020-04-03 2020-04-02 0.326 4.2–9.4 29.0 — 2020-04-05 2020-04-05 0.209 13–28 26.6 — 2020-04-15 2020-04-16 0.751 5.1–11 28.6 — 2020-04-15 2020-04-11 0.934 13–28 26.6 — 2020-04-22 2020-04-24 0.424 13–28 26.6 2020-04-22 2020-04-23 0.381 12–27 26.7 — 2020-04-22 2020-04-23 0.338 3.1–6.8 29.7 — 2020-04-24 2020-04-19 0.657 9.7–22 27.2 2020-04-26 2020-04-27 0.384 5.1–11 28.6 — 2020-04-27 2020-04-22 0.327 6.7–15 28.0 — 2020-04-28 2020-04-27 0.111 4.0–9.0 29.1 — 2020-04-30 2020-05-02 0.556 18–41 25.8 2020-05-03 2020-05-01 0.622 9.7–22 27.2 — 2020-05-04 2020-05-04 0.03 2.8–6.2 29.9 — 2020-05-05 2020-05-04 0.546 8.2–18 27.6 2020-05-05 2020-05-04 0.648 8.8–20 27.4 2020-05-09 2021-04-04Precovery around this close approach: 2020-05-26 0.706 2.2–4.9 30.4 2020-05-28 2020-05-26 0.642 3.5–7.8 29.4 — 2020-05-28 2020-05-24 0.373 2.8–6.2 29.9 — 2020-05-29 2020-05-26 0.961 8.8–20 27.4 — 2020-06-05 2020-06-07 0.797 89–200 22.4 — 2020-06-13 2020-06-16 0.926 7.0–16 27.9 — 2020-06-23 2020-06-23 0.410 1.1–2.5 31.9 — 2020-07-05 2020-07-06 0.464 15–35 26.2 — 2020-07-09 2020-07-09 0.252 0.84–1.9 32.5 — 2020-07-27 2020-07-26 0.108 2.3–5.1 30.4 — 2020-08-01 2020-08-01 0.151 4.5–10 28.8 — 2020-08-11 2020-08-14 0.594 3.3–7.3 29.6 — 2020-08-12 2020-08-22 0.769 12–27 26.7 — 2020-08-14 2020-08-14 0.727 4.6–10 28.8 — 2020-08-16 2020-08-16 0.024 2.8–6.2 29.9 — 2020-08-18 2020-08-18 0.546 7.0–16 27.9 — 2020-08-20 2020-08-14 0.911 13–30 26.5 2020-08-20 2020-08-20 0.173 1.5–3.4 31.2 — 2020-08-21 2020-08-22 0.709 5.1–11 28.6 — 2020-08-22 2020-08-23 0.802 4.6–10 28.8 — 2020-08-23 2020-08-25 0.835 9.0–20 27.3 — 2020-08-26 2020-08-26 0.351 2.9–6.5 29.8 — 2020-09-09 2020-09-12 0.638 4.0–9.0 29.1 — 2020-09-10 2020-09-13 0.354 4.6–10 28.8 — 2020-09-13 2020-09-17 0.864 10–23 27.1 — 2020-09-14 2020-09-12 0.245 5.3–12 28.5 — 2020-09-14 2020-09-12 0.275 3.1–6.8 29.7 — 2020-09-17 2020-09-15 0.884 13–29 26.5 — 2020-09-19 2020-09-20 0.953 3.5–7.8 29.4 — 2020-09-23 2020-09-26 0.578 3.7–8.2 29.3 — 2020-09-24 2020-09-18 0.073 4.1–9.2 29.1 — 2020-09-24 2020-09-25 0.524 6.3–14 28.1 — 2020-09-26 2020-09-23 0.920 4.4–9.8 28.9 — 2020-10-01 2020-10-04 0.574 21–47 25.5 — 2020-10-09 2020-10-10 0.148 4.2–9.3 29.0 — 2020-10-12 2020-10-08 0.663 3.8–8.6 29.2 — 2020-10-13 2020-10-15 0.885 12–26 26.8 — 2020-10-14 2020-10-15 0.196 3.2–7.0 29.6 — 2020-10-15 2020-10-17 0.709 21–46 25.5 2020-10-17 2020-10-15 0.361 4.0–9.0 29.1 — 2020-10-18 2020-10-15 0.599 8.4–19 27.5 2020-10-19 2020-10-17 0.493 1.6–3.5 31.1 — 2020-10-19 2020-10-15 0.399 8.0–18 27.6 — 2020-10-21 2020-10-16 0.116 5.5–12 28.4 — 2020-10-21 2020-10-17 0.913 4.2–9.4 29.0 — 2020-10-22 2020-10-21 0.912 6.0–13 28.2 2020-10-22 2020-10-21 0.112 5.6–13 28.4 — 2020-11-02 2020-11-05 0.576 5.7–13 28.4 — 2020-11-06 2020-11-10 0.451 6.7–15 28.0 — 2020-11-09 2020-11-09 0.989 4.3–9.7 28.9 — 2020-11-11 2020-11-10 0.477 7.8–17 27.7 2020-11-13 2020-11-14 , the closest approach ever observed without atmospheric contact 0.018 4.3–9.7 28.6 — 2020-11-13 2020-11-13 0.658 3.8–8.5 29.2 — 2020-11-24 2020-11-25 0.290 4.4–9.9 28.9 — 2020-11-26 2020-11-27 0.940 7.5–17 27.8 — 2020-11-26 2020-11-27 0.524 7.4–17 27.8 — 2020-11-30 2020-12-04 0.315 4.1–9.2 29.0 2020-12-01 2020-12-04 0.775 15–34 26.2 2020-12-03 2020-12-05 0.850 12–27 26.7 2020-12-03 2020-12-05 0.231 11–25 26.8 — 2020-12-03 2020-11-14 0.908 27–59 25.0 2020-12-07 2020-12-07 0.054 2.0–4.5 30.6 — 2020-12-08 2020-12-07 0.127 7.0–16 27.9 — 2020-12-16 2020-12-10 0.892 8.1–18 27.6 2020-12-18 2020-12-10 0.148 5.4–12 28.5 — 2020-12-19 2020-12-21 0.449 5.8–13 28.3 — 2020-12-20 2020-12-21 0.226 1.6–3.6 31.1 — 2020-12-21 2020-12-21 0.892 9.0–20 27.4 — 2020-12-28 2020-12-27 0.251 7.5–17 27.8 —

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. It shows the effectiveness of asteroid warning systems at detecting close approaches in 2020. 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.

Absolute magnitude H ≥ 30 (smallest) (size of a person for comparison)

Absolute magnitude 30 > H ≥ 29

Absolute magnitude 29 > H ≥ 28

Absolute magnitude 28 > H ≥ 27

Absolute magnitude 27 > H ≥ 26

Absolute magnitude 36 > H ≥ 25

Absolute magnitude 25 > H (largest)

Predicted close approaches

Below is the list of predicted close approaches of near-Earth asteroids larger than magnitude 27, that were predicted to occur in 2020.Absolute magnitude 27 is the estimated magnitude of the Chelyabinsk meteor, which caused widespread damage and injury, but no deaths. Objects smaller than this are excluded. This relates to asteroid cataloging systems effectiveness at predicting close approaches in 2020.

For asteroids which were observed but not predicted, see the main list above. In 2020, at the outset of the year, no asteroids were predicted to pass within 1 lunar distance of Earth. Table omitted.

Notes

Additional examples

An example list of near-Earth asteroids that passed or will pass more than 1 lunar distance (384,400 km or 0.00256 AU) from Earth in 2020. ObjectSize(meters)Nearest approach(lunardistances)DateRef 165 2020-02-03 700 2020-02-15 1,750 2020-04-29 350 2020-05-10 1,000 2020-05-21 Planet VenusFor comparison — 2020-06-03 JPL 613 2020-06-06 115 2020-06-08 228 2020-06-24 700 2020-07-23 35 2020-09-02 22 2020-09-22 2,600 2020-10-19 12 2020-10-21 2-4 could potentially pass less than 1 lunar distance to Earth, but the chances are fairly low and as such it was not listed in the main table unless followup observations confirm that it will pass less than 1 LD from Earth. A longer observation arc is required to constrain the orbit better. The Earth approach distance has an uncertainty of about 4 million km, ±3 days, and a 1:240 chance of impacting Earth. 2020-11-02 800 2020-11-22 600 2020-11-29 150 2020-12-25 162173 Ryugu 865 2020-12-29

Notes

See also List of asteroid close approaches to Earth List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2019 List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2021 Asteroid impact prediction

References