List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2018
| Asteroids which came closer to Earth than the Moon in 2018 by time of discovery |
Below is the list of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2018.
Timeline of known close approaches less than one lunar distance from Earth
A list of known near-Earth asteroid close approaches less than 1 lunar distance from Earth in 2018, based on the close approach database of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies.For reference, the radius of Earth is approximately or 0.0166 lunar distances.
Geosynchronous satellites have an orbit with semi-major axis length of or 0.110 lunar distances. Five asteroids are confirmed to have passed within this distance, and unconfirmed or confirmed but poorly observed asteroids A106fgF, A107j4q, ZB0A262,, ZGBE54F, A1080DC, ZW87F01, and ZW900BE may have also passed within this distance.
The largest asteroid to pass within 1 LD of Earth in 2018 was with an estimated diameter of around 137 meters and an absolute magnitude of 22.5. The fastest asteroid to pass within 1 LD of Earth in 2018 was that passed Earth with a velocity with respect to Earth of.
The CNEOS database of close approaches lists some close approaches a full orbit or more before the discovery of the object, derived by orbit calculation. The list below only includes close approaches that are evidenced by observations, thus the pre-discovery close approaches are only included if the object was found by precovery.
This list and relevant databases do not consider impacts as close approaches, thus this list does not include 2018 LA, an asteroid which was predicted to impact on Earth and burned up in its atmosphere, as well as several more objects that collided with Earth's atmosphere in 2018 which weren't discovered in advance, but were observed visually or recorded by sensors designed to detect detonation of nuclear devices.
| Date of closest approach | Date discovered | Object | Nominal geocentric distance | Nominal geocentric distance | Size | Closer approach to Moon | Refs | |
| 2018-01-02 | 2018-01-04 | 2018 AH | 0.773 | 77–170 | 22.7 | — | ||
| 2018-01-15 | 2018-01-17 | 2018 BW | 0.435 | 6.4–14 | 28.1 | — | ||
| 2018-01-16 | 2018-01-17 | 0.341 | 3.3–7.5 | 29.5 | — | |||
| 2018-01-18 | 2018-01-18 | 2018 BD | 0.102 | 2.5–5.7 | 30.1 | — | ||
| 2018-01-19 | 2018-01-20 | ' | 0.632 | 17–38 | 26.0 | — | ||
| 2018-01-19 | 2018-01-17 | 2018 BC | 0.734 | 3.5–7.8 | 29.4 | — | ||
| 2018-01-19 | 2018-01-18 | 2018 BX | 0.730 | 4–9 | 29.1 | — | ||
| 2018-01-20 | 2018-01-24 | 0.788 | 6.1–14 | 28.2 | ||||
| 2018-01-24 | 2018-01-27 | 0.943 | 12–26 | 26.8 | — | |||
| 2018-02-04 | 2018-02-07 | 0.896 | 6.1–14 | 28.2 | — | |||
| 2018-02-06 | 2018-02-07 | ' | 0.253 | 6.7–15 | 28.0 | — | ||
| 2018-02-06 | 2018-02-04 | 2018 CC | 0.492 | 13–28 | 26.6 | — | ||
| 2018-02-09 | 2018-02-08 | ' | 0.182 | 7.3–16 | 27.8 | — | ||
| 2018-02-09 | 2018-02-04 | 2018 CB | 0.181 | 18–39 | 25.9 | — | ||
| 2018-02-16 | 2018-02-10 | 0.924 | 5.1–11 | 28.6 | — | |||
| 2018-02-21 | 2018-02-22 | 2018 DQ | 0.261 | 4–9 | 29.1 | — | ||
| 2018-02-24 | 2018-02-26 | 0.543 | 5.2–12 | 28.5 | ? | |||
| 2018-02-25 | 2018-02-23 | 2018 DU | 0.739 | 5.8–13 | 28.3 | — | ||
| 2018-03-02 | 2018-02-26 | ' | 0.293 | 5.6–12 | 28.4 | — | ||
| 2018-03-14 | 2018-03-12 | 0.560 | 15–34 | 26.6 | ||||
| 2018-03-17 | 2018-03-19 | 0.578 | 2.6–5.7 | 30.1 | — | |||
| 2018-03-18 | 2018-03-21 | 0.381 | 9.7–22 | 27.2 | — | |||
| 2018-03-19 | 2018-03-20 | 0.727 | 5.1–11 | 28.6 | — | |||
| 2018-03-23 | 2018-03-21 | 0.501 | 8.1–18 | 27.6 | — | |||
| 2018-03-30 | 2018-03-28 | 0.391 | 5.8–13 | 28.3 | — | |||
| 2018-04-07 | 2018-04-11 | 0.688 | 5.3–12 | 28.5 | — | |||
| 2018-04-10 | 2008-04-13 | aka | 0.783 | 8–18 | 27.6 | — | ||
| 2018-04-12 | 2018-04-11 | 0.781 | 3.3–7.5 | 29.5 | — | |||
| 2018-04-15 | 2018-04-14 | ' | 0.502 | 46–100 | 23.8 | |||
| 2018-04-21 | 2018-04-23 | 0.893 | 18–41 | 25.8 | — | |||
| 2018-04-22 | 2018-04-21 | 2018 HV | 0.403 | 4.4–9.9 | 28.9 | — | ||
| 2018-05-09 | 2020-02-15 | 0.067 | 1.2–2.7 | 31.7 | — | |||
| 2018-05-15 | 2010-11-30 | ' | 0.528 | 53–120 | 23.5 | — | ||
| 2018-05-23 | 2018-05-22 | 0.388 | 3.1–6.8 | 29.7 | — | |||
| 2018-05-26 | 2018-05-24 | 0.779 | 9.7–22 | 27.2 | — | |||
| 2018-06-15 | 2018-06-11 | 0.858 | 13–30 | 26.5 | — | |||
| 2018-06-16 | 2018-06-17 | 0.541 | 4.6–10 | 28.8 | ||||
| 2018-07-07 | 2018-07-08 | 2018 NX | 0.304 | 7.7–17 | 27.7 | — | ||
| 2018-07-08 | 2018-07-08 | 2018 NW | 0.324 | 7.3–16 | 27.8 | — | ||
| 2018-08-10 | 2018-08-11 | 0.087 | 8.8–20 | 27.4 | — | |||
| 2018-08-21 | 2018-08-21 | 0.230 | 9.5–21 | 27.2 | — | |||
| 2018-09-03 | 2018-09-07 | 0.945 | 2.7–6 | 30.0 | — | |||
| 2018-09-05 | 2018-09-06 | 2018 RS | 0.276 | 2.7–5.9 | 30.0 | — | ||
| 2018-09-06 | 2018-09-07 | 0.991 | 5.3–12 | 28.5 | — | |||
| 2018-09-07 | 2018-09-09 | 0.435 | 7.3–16 | 27.8 | — | |||
| 2018-09-08 | 2018-09-07 | 2018 RW | 0.445 | 2–4.5 | 30.6 | — | ||
| 2018-09-09 | 2018-09-03 | 2018 RC | 0.584 | 27–61 | 24.9 | — | ||
| 2018-09-12 | 2018-09-13 | 0.467 | 13–28 | 26.6 | — | |||
| 2018-09-12 | 2018-09-13 | 0.129 | 3–6.8 | 29.7 | — | |||
| 2018-09-15 | 2018-09-16 | 2018 SM | 0.111 | 3.5–7.8 | 29.4 | — | ||
| 2018-09-18 | 2018-09-17 | 2018 SC | 0.699 | 6.7–15 | 28.0 | — | ||
| 2018-09-25 | 2018-09-21 | 0.229 | 5.1–11 | 28.6 | — | |||
| 2018-09-30 | 2018-10-02 | 2018 TC | 0.795 | 13–28 | 26.6 | — | ||
| 2018-10-06 | 2018-10-05 | 0.265 | 3.3–7.5 | 29.5 | — | |||
| 2018-10-07 | 2018-10-05 | 2018 TV | 0.741 | 5.1–11 | 28.6 | — | ||
| 2018-10-17 | 2018-10-18 | 2018 UL | 0.575 | 3.8–8.6 | 29.2 | |||
| 2018-10-19 | 2018-10-19 | 2018 UA | 0.036 | 2.4–5.4 | 30.2 | — | ||
| 2018-11-02 | 2018-11-03 | 0.393 | 1.8–3.9 | 30.9 | — | |||
| 2018-11-05 | 2018-11-08 | 0.481 | 5.3–12 | 28.5 | — | |||
| 2018-11-06 | 2018-11-07 | 0.367 | 12–27 | 26.7 | — | |||
| 2018-11-10 | 2018-11-04 | aka | 0.992 | 8.4–19 | 27.5 | — | ||
| 2018-11-13 | 2018-11-10 | 0.871 | 8.8–20 | 27.4 | — | |||
| 2018-11-13 | 2018-11-16 | 0.653 | 2.5–5.7 | 30.1 | — | |||
| 2018-11-14 | 2018-11-15 | 0.517 | 5.1–11 | 28.6 | ||||
| 2018-11-16 | 2018-11-17 | 2018 WH | 0.496 | 2.9–6.5 | 29.8 | — | ||
| 2018-11-16 | 2018-11-17 | 2018 WG | 0.080 | 3.7–8.2 | 29.3 | — | ||
| 2018-11-18 | 2018-11-17 | 2018 WE | 0.624 | 5.6–12 | 28.4 | |||
| 2018-11-19 | 2018-11-17 | 2018 WJ | 0.309 | 7–16 | 27.9 | — | ||
| 2018-11-25 | 2018-11-26 | 0.279 | 16–36 | 26.1 | — | |||
| 2018-11-27 | 2018-11-28 | 0.284 | 3.5–7.8 | 29.4 | — | |||
| 2018-11-28 | 2018-11-29 | 0.839 | 6.7–15 | 28.0 | — | |||
| 2018-11-30 | 2018-11-29 | 0.520 | 2.5–5.7 | 30.1 | — | |||
| 2018-12-02 | 2018-11-29 | 0.086 | 2.3–5.2 | 30.3 | — | |||
| 2018-12-11 | 2018-12-13 | 0.969 | 4.2–9.4 | 29.0 | ||||
| 2018-12-27 | 2018-12-28 | 0.155 | 3.5–7.8 | 29.4 | — | |||
| 2018-12-28 | 2018-12-29 | 0.510 | 2.9–6.5 | 29.8 | — | |||
| 2018-12-28 | 2019-01-03 | 0.430 | 22–50 | 25.4 | — |
In addition to the confirmed asteroids on the above list, which feature in the CNEOS close approach database, there have been well-observed unconfirmed or confirmed but poorly observed objects with a 50% or greater chance of passing within 1 LD of the Earth, which are listed separately below.
| Date of closest approach | Date discovered | Object | Nominal geocentric distance | Nominal geocentric distance | Size | Closer approach to Moon | Refs | |
| 2018-01-22 | 2018-01-22 | A106fgF | Potential Impact? | 0.0011 | 2–5 | 30.6 | — | |
| 2018-01-25 | 2018-01-26 | ZB0A262 | 0.16 | 2–5 | 30.6 | — | ||
| 2018-04-12 | 2018-04-13 | ZGBE54F | 0.18 | 2–7 | 30.0 | — | ||
| 2018-06-17 | 2018-06-17 | A107j4q | 0.080 | 4–11 | 28.9 | — | ||
| 2018-06-23 | 2018-06-24 | A107pL2 | 0.20 | 3–9 | 29.5 | — | ||
| 2018-07-04 | 2018-07-05 | ZN2E090 | 0.51 | 4–12 | 28.8 | — | ||
| 2018-08-12 | 2018-08-13 | A1080DC | 0.11 | 1–4 | 31.3 | — | ||
| 2018-10-06 | 2018-10-06 | ZTF01Z9 | 0.66 | 4–12 | 28.8 | — | ||
| 2018-11-01 | 2018-11-01 | 0.11 | 2–5 | 30.6 | — | |||
| 2018-11-11 | 2018-11-11 | 0.40 | 3–10 | 29.1 | — | |||
| 2018-11-15 | 2018-11-17 | ZW84BCD | 0.33 | 2–7 | 30.0 | — | ||
| 2018-11-16 | 2018-11-17 | ZW87F01 | 0.23 | 1–2 | 32.3 | — | ||
| 2018-11-28 | 2018-11-29 | ZW900BE | 0.087 | 1–4 | 31.2 | — | ||
| 2018-12-30 | 2018-12-31 | 0.28 | 2–7 | 29.8 | — |