2019SJ6

2019SJ6 is a near-Earth asteroid discovered on September 20, 2019, by astronomers at the Pan-STARRS observatory in Hawaii. It belongs to the Aten class of asteroids, which are characterized by orbits that are mostly inside Earth's orbit, although their semi-major axes are less than 1 AU. This means that while they are Earth-crossing, their orbits are generally contained within that of Earth.

The asteroid's orbital period is approximately 339 days, and its orbit is highly elliptical. At its closest approach to the Sun, it comes within 0.63 AU, and at its farthest, it reaches 1.09 AU. Its closest approach to Earth, known as the minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID), is relatively small, indicating a potential for close passes.

2019SJ6 has an estimated diameter of around 20 to 40 meters. Objects of this size are not considered planet-killers but could cause significant local damage if they were to impact Earth. Its composition is not yet well-determined, but it is likely to be rocky.

As of its discovery and subsequent observations, 2019SJ6 has not posed an immediate threat to Earth. It is regularly monitored by asteroid tracking programs to refine its orbit and assess any future potential risks. Its discovery highlights the ongoing efforts to catalog and understand the population of near-Earth objects.