2006 RH120

2006 RH₁₂₀
Discovery
Discovered by	Catalina Sky Survey (Eric Christensen)
Discovery date	14 September 2006
Designations
MPC designation	2006 RH120
Minor planet category	Amor (MPC 2013); Apollo (JPL 2012); Aten (2007); (Temporary satellite of Earth 2006–2007);
Orbital characteristics
	Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
	Uncertainty parameter 1
Observation arc	281 days
Aphelion	1.058 AU (158.3 Gm) (Q)
Perihelion	1.0078 AU (150.76 Gm) (q)
Semi-major axis	1.0331 AU (154.55 Gm) (a)
Eccentricity	0.02452 (e); (Geocentric hyperbolic e=2500000)
Orbital period (sidereal)	1.05 yr
Mean anomaly	313.7° (M)
Inclination	0.59486° (i)
Longitude of ascending node	51.18° (Ω)
Time of perihelion	~2028-Nov-11
Argument of perihelion	10.060° (ω)
Earth MOID	0.01682 AU (2,516,000 km)
Jupiter MOID	3.93 AU (588 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	~2–3 m
Synodic rotation period	2.75 minutes; 0.04583 h (2.750 min);
Geometric albedo	0.1 ?[clarification needed]
Apparent magnitude	30+ (until 2027)
Absolute magnitude (H)	29.5

2006 RH₁₂₀ is a tiny near-Earth asteroid^[9] and fast rotator with a diameter of approximately 2–3 meters^[7] that ordinarily orbits the Sun but makes close approaches to the Earth–Moon system around every twenty years,^[10] when it can temporarily enter Earth orbit through temporary satellite capture (TSC). Most recently, it was in Earth orbit from July 2006 to July 2007,^[11] during which time it was never more than 0.0116 AU (1.74 million km) from Earth.^[12] As a consequence of its temporary orbit around the Earth, it is currently the second smallest asteroid in the Solar System with a well-known orbit, after 2021 GM1. Until given a minor planet designation on 18 February 2008,^[1] the object was known as 6R10DB9, an internal identification number assigned by the Catalina Sky Survey.^[8]

^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference MPEC2008-D12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ WayBack: MPC Epoch 2013 = Amor
^ archive.ph: JPL Epoch 2012 = Apollo
^ archive.ph: Epoch Jan 2007 = Aten with a=0.99au
^ Cite error: The named reference mpc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference geocentric was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Cite error: The named reference Barbee2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ ^a ^b Great Shefford Observatory. "2006 RH120 ( = 6R10DB9) – A second moon for the Earth?". Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
^ ^a ^b ^c Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Pseudo-MPEC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Kwiatkowski2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
^ Cite error: The named reference Horizons2006-2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[MPEC2008-D12-1] Cite error: The named reference MPEC2008-D12 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[epoch2013-2] WayBack: MPC Epoch 2013 = Amor

[epoch2012-3] rchive.ph: JPL Epoch 2012 = Apollo

[epoch2007-4] rchive.ph: Epoch Jan 2007 = Aten with a=0.99au

[mpc-5] Cite error: The named reference mpc was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[geocentric-6] Cite error: The named reference geocentric was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Barbee2015-7] Cite error: The named reference Barbee2015 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Shefford-8] Great Shefford Observatory. "2006 RH120 ( = 6R10DB9) – A second moon for the Earth?". Archived from the original on 9 May 2008. Retrieved 16 April 2008.

[jpldata-9] Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Pseudo-MPEC-10] Cite error: The named reference Pseudo-MPEC was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Kwiatkowski2009-11] Cite error: The named reference Kwiatkowski2009 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

[Horizons2006-2007-12] Cite error: The named reference Horizons2006-2007 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).

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