On October 12th astronomers working at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Ukraine discovered, in a photo taken October 8th, showing a thousand foot asteroid "closely" passing Earth on September 16th. It had never been seen before.
2013 TV135 On September 16, 2013, it passed about 0.045 AU(6,700,000 km; 4,200,000 mi) from Earth. On September 20, 2013, it came to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun). The asteroid was discovered on October 12, 2013 by Crimean Astrophysical Observatory using images dating back to October 8, 2013. It was discovered by Ukrainian astronomer Gennady Borisov.
The asteroid is initially estimated to be about 1,300 feet (400 meters) in size and its orbit carries it as far out as about three quarters of the distance to Jupiter's orbit and as close to the sun as Earth's orbit. This has it speeding through the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupitor twice every four years.
With an orbital inclination of only 6.7 degrees and perihelion 0.99AU from the Sun, based on the preliminary orbit, the point of perihelion appears to be controlled by close approaches to Earth. With a short observation arc of only 9 days, it has a poorly determined orbit with an Uncertainty of 8. Given the relatively large size of the asteroid, astronomers will be able to refine the orbit of this asteroid over the next several days, weeks, and months.
But no one can predict collisions in the asteroid belt that may alter its orbit.
