2020 CW is a tiny near-Earth asteroid of the Apollo group, approximately 1 meter (3 ft) in diameter. It was first observed by the Mount Lemmon Survey on 1 February 2020,^[1] when it passed Earth very closely at a nominal distance of only 0.041 lunar distances (0.000105 astronomical units).^[2] The object's orbital elements remain highly uncertain.^[1][2]

2020 CW passed within 15,660 kilometres (9,730 mi) of the Earth on 1 February 2020, with a fly-by speed of 21.2 kilometres (13.2 mi) per second.^[2] The household-appliance-sized asteroid passed within the orbit of satellites in the geostationary ring at 35,900 kilometres (22,300 mi) above Earth's equator.^[5] At the time, it was the closest approach in the year 2020. Since then, 2020 JJ made a closer approach on 4 May 2020.^[6]

The asteroid was first observed 1 February 2020 by the Mount Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon Observatory in the Santa Catalina Mountains northeast of Tucson, Arizona.^[1] The next encounter closer than the Moon is predicted to occur 5 February 2029 at a distance of 19,040 kilometres (11,830 mi) or more.^[2]

• List Of Apollo Minor Planets (by designation), Minor Planet Center
• 2020 CW at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemerides · Observation prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Observational info · Close approaches · Physical info · Orbit animation
• 2020 CW at ESA–space situational awareness
  • Ephemerides · Observations · Orbit · Physical properties · Summary
• 2020 CW at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters