The Asteroid 2020 QG Sets a New Record Closest “Known” Flyby that Didn’t Hit Our Planet.
By Steven M. Tilley
An asteroid made a close approach to Earth on 2020-Aug-16 at a distance of 1.45 Earth radii from our planet’s center. Later that day, it passed through the field of view of the Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF). Astronomers at ZTF reported the object to the Minor Planet Center (MPC) using the observer-assigned designation ZTF0DxQ.
The MPC posted the object to the NEOCP for follow-up observations worldwide. Six observatories reported additional data, and on 2020 August 17 at 16:09 UT, the MPC issued MPEC 2020-Q51 : 2020 QG, assigning the provisional designation 2020 QG.
The approximately three-meter asteroid is so small that it would not have survived passage through Earth’s atmosphere. It set a new record for the closest known flyby. The 2020 QG flyby surpassed the 2011 CQ1 flyby of 1.86 Earth radii. However, many small asteroids pass undetected, so closer flybys almost certainly occur.
Newly-discovered asteroid ZTF0DxQ passed less than 1/4 Earth diameter yesterday, making it the closest-known flyby that didn’t hit our planet.@renerpho
— Tony Dunn (@tony873004) August 17, 2020
Simulation: https://t.co/a81R100OwV
Higher-res GIF: https://t.co/4Wxn0YNpVb pic.twitter.com/SMtVRbjYOA