2011 MD

2011 MD
2011 MD imaged by Spitzer in February 2014
Discovery
Discovered byLINEAR
Discovery siteLincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date2011 June 22
(first observed only)
Designations
2011 MD
NEO · Apollo · Amor
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 13 July 2011 (JD 2455755.5)
Uncertainty parameter 2 · 0
Observation arc2.65 yr (967 days)
Aphelion1.1031 AU
Perihelion1.0161 AU
1.0596 AU
Eccentricity0.0411
1.09 yr (398 days)
11.051°
0° 54m 13.32s / day
Inclination2.5624°
273.96°
4.6748°
Earth MOID0.0003 AU (0.1 LD)
Physical characteristics
6 m (estimate)
Mean density
1 g/cm3 (est. rubble pile)
0.1937 h
0.3
28.0

    2011 MD is a bright micro-asteroid, classified as near-Earth object of the Apollo and Amor group, respectively. On 27 June 2011, at around 17:00 UTC (13:00 EDT), the object passed exceptionally close to Earth's surface at a distance of approximately 12,000 kilometers (7,500 mi), roughly the diameter of the Earth.