Solar System
Dynamics
Group 		2000 SG344

2000 SG344 was discovered by David Tholen and Robert Whiteley on September 29th (using the Canada-France-Hawaii telescope at Mauna Kea) as it was passing Earth approximately 20 times farther away than the Moon.
International Astronomical Union announced on November 3rd that 2000 SG344 might hit Earth in the year 2030. Shortly after this IAU announcement, Carl Hergenrother found pre-discovery images of 2000 SG344 from May 1999 in archives from the Catalina Sky Survey that excluded an impact in 2030. However, it will collide with Earth after 2068.
It has a diameter of about 30—70 meters. Object is too small to result in heavy damage on the ground (absolute magnitude 24.70)
Its 353 day orbit is so very much like Earth's orbit that it may be an Apollo rocket debris.

Number of original observations: 31
Arc : 1999 05 15 - 2000 10 03
Nominal rms: 0″.31 (59 residuals)

Possible collisions in: 2071, 2072





Year: 2071


Orbital elements of impact orbit for two dates (equ. J2000)
Epoch [TT] a [AU] e i [deg] Ω [deg] ω [deg] M [deg] rms
 
dev/σ
 		 20001023

20710903		 0.978458628
-0.03
0.982331016		 0.067324680
0.03
0.072331830		 0.1093511
0.04
0.0952770		 192.5891993
0.01
159.4920654		 274.3538855
0.00
302.7903974		 293.7455436
0.04
244.7217756		 0″.31

 

Impact date: 2071 09 16.026 (UT)   Vimpact= 11.338 km/sec   Ψimpact = 62°.22  

dev/σ
Deviation from the nominal orbit parameter divided by the respective uncertainty.
Vimpact
The velocity of the asteroid relative to the Earth at the moment of impact.
Ψimpact
The impact angle is measured from the vertical axis that goes through the impact point. Thus, the impact angle is 0 degrees for a vertical impact.
rms
Root mean square for the derived impact orbit.

Year: 2072


Orbital elements of impact orbit for two dates (equ. J2000)

Epoch [TT] a [AU] e i [deg] Ω [deg] ω [deg] M [deg] rms
 
dev/σ
 		 20001023

20720906		 0.978459961
-5.05
0.984440371		 0.067318556
5.02
0.071443221		 0.1093383
4.62
0.1172214		 192.5869843
4.34
170.6083464		 274.3549836
-2.02
293.2037516		 293.7458669
-4.59
246.8756463		 0″.61

 

Impact date: 2072 09 13.691 (UT)   Vimpact= 11.411 km/sec   Ψimpact =12°.08  



External links:

2000 SG344 page (NASA JPL) and Impact Risk page NEO Program (NASA JPL)
2000 SG344 page and Impact Risk page at the NEO Dynamic Site (NEODyS)




Solar System Dynamics & Planetology Group, 2008. All rights reserved