Editing 2004 FU162 (section)

== Description ==
On 31 March 2004, around 15:35 [[UTC]], the asteroid is crudely estimated to have passed within approximately 1 [[Earth radius]] ({{Earth radius}}) or 6,400 kilometers of the surface of the Earth (or 2.02&nbsp;{{Earth radius}} from Earth's center). But due to the very short observation arc, the uncertainty in the close approach distance is a large ±15000&nbsp;km. By comparison, [[geostationary]] satellites orbit at 5.6 {{Earth radius}} and [[GPS]] satellites orbit at 3.17 {{Earth radius}} from the center of the Earth.

{{As of|2008}} this was the [[List of notable asteroids#Record-setting close approaches to Earth|third or fourth closest approach]].<!-- 1972 grazer was at 57 km, 1990 grazer was about 100km, possible 2006 grazer altitude not available --> The first observation of {{mp|2004 FU|162}} was not announced until 22 August 2004.

It was only observed four times in the space of 44 minutes and could not be followed up. Nevertheless, "the orbit is quite determinate and, given the exceptional nature of this close approach, the object is now receiving a designation".<ref name="hohm"/> No [[precovery]] images have been found.

{{mp|2004 FU|162}} is estimated to be approximately 6 meters in diameter.{{citation needed|date=April 2017}}  This means that it would burn up from [[Drag (physics)|atmospheric friction]] before striking the ground in the case of an Earth [[impact event|impact]].

On 26 March 2010, it may have come within 0.0825&nbsp;AU (12.3 million km) of Earth,<ref name=horizons /> but with an [[Uncertainty Parameter U|uncertainty parameter]] of 9,<ref name=jpldata/> the orbit is poorly determined.

Another, larger near-Earth asteroid, [[2004 FH]] passed just two weeks prior to {{mp|2004 FU|162}}.

A closer non-impacting approach to Earth was not known until {{mp|2008 TS|26}} on 9 October 2008.