100085 (1992 UY4)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

100085 (1992 UY4) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1992 UY4 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

1992 UY4 orbits the sun every 1,580 days (4.33 years), coming as close as 1.01 AU and reaching as far as 4.29 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1992 UY4 is probably between 0.702 to 1.571 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 1992 UY4 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 12.91 hours.

No Close Approaches

1992 UY4's orbit is 0.02 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1992 UY4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 29, 1979. It was last officially observed on Feb. 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 660 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1992 UY4:

• 15 Eunomia (A851 OA)
• 26 Proserpina (A853 JA)
• 37 Fides (A855 TB)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 100085 (1992 UY4) is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1992 UY4 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.