2000 SG344

2000 SG344 is a small Aten asteroid first observed in 2000. It is assumed to have a diameter of approximately 37 meters (120 feet) – or roughly twice that of the Chelyabinsk meteor – and an assumed mass of 7.1×107 kg (71,000 tonnes), but the size is only known within about a factor 2. It is the largest object known to have a better than 1/1000 chance (0.1%) of impacting Earth and has the fourth highest cumulative Palermo rating at −2.79. The next good chance to observe the object will be in May 2028 when it passes 0.02 AU (3,000,000 km; 1,900,000 mi) from Earth.

2000 SG344
2000 SG344 seen on 29 September 2000, as a dim streak in the center of the image, moving against the background field of stars
Discovery
Discovered byD. J. Tholen
R. J. Whiteley
Discovery siteMauna Kea Obs.UH88
Discovery date29 September 2000
(first observation only)
Designations
NEO · Aten
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 2020-May-31 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 3
Observation arc507 days (1.39 yr)
Aphelion1.0429 AU (156.02 Gm)
Perihelion0.91199 AU (136.432 Gm)
0.97744 AU (146.223 Gm)
Eccentricity0.06696
0.97 yr (352.96 d)
35.680°
1.0198°/day
Inclination0.112202°
191.91°
275.35°
Earth MOID0.0008 AU (120,000 km)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
37 m (assumed)
15–70 meters
Mass7.1×107 kg (assumed)
24.7

    Because of its very Earth-like orbit and because it would have been near the Earth in 1971 (coinciding with the Apollo program), there was speculation that 2000 SG344 might not be an asteroid but a man-made object such as an S-IVB booster stage from a Saturn V rocket which would make it about 15 meters in diameter and much less massive. (cf. J002E3, the S-IVB booster of Apollo 12 which was mistaken for an asteroid.)

    Upcoming Earth approaches
    Date & time Nominal distance uncertainty
    region
    (3-sigma)
    2028-May-07 03:32 ± 4 minutes2931689 km± 46000 km
    2030-Sep-22 22:36 ± 10 hours5121080 km± 380000 km
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