* Astronomy

Blobrana · L

Asteroid 2010 KQ

Blobrana · L

The unknown visitor passed nearly as close to the Earth as the moon on May 21st. Its spectrum didn't match any known asteroid. At a feeble absolute magnitude of +28.9, the traveller must have only been about the size of a truck.
Object 2010 KQ, what are you?
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Blobrana · L

Small Near-Earth Object Probably a Rocket Part

Scientists at NASA's Near-Earth Object Program Office at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., have determined that a small object that safely passed Earth on May 21 is more than likely an upper-stage of a rocket that carried a spacecraft on an interplanetary trajectory.
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Blobrana · L

According to NASA, the asteroid 2010 KQ is probably a rocket body that was launched in early 1975.
Near-infrared spectral measurements taken by the NASA IRTF telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, indicate that its spectral characteristics are similar to those of a rocket body.

Blobrana · L

Man-made object spotted with FTN

For the past week Richard Miles (BAA) has been following an as-yet unidentified object orbiting the Sun (dubbed 2010 KQ), using Faulkes Telescope North. Recent observations suggest it is a man-made object with an exciting past.
This apparent asteroidal body was discovered by the Catalina Sky Survey on May 16. Follow-up astrometry showed it to be orbiting around the Sun every 1.04 years and that it would pass within 1.28 lunar-distances of the Earth on May 21. The object was suspected of being man-made since its orbit is very circular and of very low inclination but its orbit has not been linked to any particular launch.
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Blobrana · L

Removed as an Earth Impact Risk.

Blobrana · L

2010 KQ
Earth Impact Risk Summary

Torino Scale (maximum)	0
Palermo Scale (maximum)	-2.12
Palermo Scale (cumulative)	-2.12
Impact Probability (cumulative)	5.6e-01
Number of Potential Impacts	1

V_impact	11.11 km/s
V_infinity	-0.00 km/s
H	28.9
Diameter	0.006 km
Mass	2.4e+05 kg
Energy	3.5e-03 MT
all above are mean values weighted by impact probability

Analysis based on
60 observations spanning 8.8342 days
(2010-May-16.16161 to 2010-May-24.99585)

Blobrana · L

Removed as an Earth Impact Risk.

Blobrana · L

2010 KQ
Earth Impact Risk Summary

Torino Scale (maximum)	0
Palermo Scale (maximum)	-5.03
Palermo Scale (cumulative)	-5.03
Impact Probability (cumulative)	4.5e-04
Number of Potential Impacts	3

V_impact	11.12 km/s
V_infinity	0.00 km/s
H	28.5
Diameter	0.007 km
Mass	4.1e+05 kg
Energy	6.0e-03 MT
all above are mean values weighted by impact probability

Analysis based on
36 observations spanning 5.1263 days
(2010-May-16.16161 to 2010-May-21.28791)

Blobrana · L

2010 KQ
Earth Impact Risk Summary

Torino Scale (maximum)	0
Palermo Scale (maximum)	-8.91
Palermo Scale (cumulative)	-8.91
Impact Probability (cumulative)	5.6e-08
Number of Potential Impacts	1

V_impact	11.12 km/s
V_infinity	-0.00 km/s
H	28.5
Diameter	0.007 km
Mass	4.3e+05 kg
Energy	6.3e-03 MT
all above are mean values weighted by impact probability

Analysis based on
32 observations spanning 5.0325 days
(2010-May-16.16161 to 2010-May-21.19407)