Large asteroid 2018 AH flew past Earth at 0.77 LD, 2 days after discovery
A relatively large newly discovered asteroid designated 2018 AH flew past Earth at 0.77 LD / 0.00199 AU (~297 699 km / 184 982 miles) on January 2, 2018.
This is the 1st known asteroid to flyby Earth within 1 LD this year, 54th since January 1, 2017 and the largest within 1 LD since 2011.
2018 AH was first observed at ATLAS-MLO, Mauna Loa on January 4, 2018, two days after its close approach to Earth. The closest approach to Earth took place
at 04:25 UTC on January 2 at a speed (relative to the Earth) of 13.76 km/s.
It belongs to the Apollo group of asteroids, the most common one, and it has an estimated diameter of 84 - 190 m (275 - 693 feet), making it the largest
known near-Earth object to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance since 2011.
It is also the 9th largest known near-Earth object (asteroids + comets) to flyby Earth within 1 lunar distance ever. Over the past 18 years, only 2 asteroids
larger than 2018 AH flew past us this close and 8 since 1918.
As of January 5, 2018, there are 17 566 known near-Earth objects around our planet, 17 460 of them are asteroids. Of the total number of known NEOs,
7 999 have an estimated diameter roughly 140 m (460 feet) or larger, including 2018 AH.