Thirty-two years ago today, on March 14, 1994, the asteroid 1994 ES1 made a relatively close approach to Earth, passing roughly halfway to the Moon. The event, detected by the Spacewatch program at the National Kitt Peak Observatory in Arizona, continues to be monitored by astronomical observatories as part of ongoing efforts to track near-Earth objects.
Initially designated 1994 ES1, the asteroid belongs to the Apollo group, meaning its orbit crosses Earth’s. While relatively small in size, its trajectory and proximity to our planet warrant continued observation. The designation reflects the year of discovery and its sequence within observations, and This proves currently identified in catalogs like the Minor Planet Center and the JPL Small-Body Database.
The asteroid’s orbit has a semi-major axis of approximately 1.380 Astronomical Units (UA), with its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) at 0.5741 UA and its farthest point (aphelion) at 2.1862 UA. It has a highly eccentric orbit, around 0.584, and an inclination of just over 1.14 degrees, completing one orbit around the Sun in approximately 592.24 days. Its ascending node is at 353.41°.
Currently, the asteroid’s absolute magnitude is measured at 28.5, indicating a very small size and making it difficult to observe without specialized instruments and favorable conditions. Precise estimates of its size or composition haven’t been published in available databases. This type of ongoing monitoring is crucial as advancements in asteroid detection technologies improve our understanding of potential risks and opportunities in space.
Data from the discovery, made by the Spacewatch team, is registered with the Minor Planet Center and the JPL database. Available ephemerides correspond to the epoch 2457800.5, allowing for continued orbital tracking in international catalogs, though observation remains sporadic. You can explore a 3D world of asteroids, comets, and near-Earth objects with NASA’s Eyes on Asteroids tool.
A 32 años del día en que el asteroide 1994 ES1 rozó la Tierra: el fenómeno espacial que pasó a mitad de camino de la Luna https://t.co/wJ9w9wJq9q
— Radio Mitre (@radiomitre) March 14, 2023
