(175706) 1996 FG3

(175706) 1996 FG3 is a near-Earth binary asteroid[1] in the Apollo group. It was discovered by Robert H. McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, on March 24, 1996. It is listed as a potentially hazardous object.[2] A moon was discovered orbiting the asteroid in 1998. The moon is 0.49 ± 0.08 km in diameter, and orbits the asteroid every 16 hours, 9 minutes, and 3 seconds.[1]

Prior to late 2012, (175706) 1996 FG3 was the preliminary baseline target of the European Space Agency's MarcoPolo-R mission, which was selected for the assessment study phase of ESA's M3 mission.[3]

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