10860 (1995 LE)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
• Will pass within 14,746,413 km of Earth in 2061
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

10860 (1995 LE) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1995 LE as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

1995 LE orbits the sun every 1,510 days (4.13 years), coming as close as 1.10 AU and reaching as far as 4.06 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1995 LE is probably between 0.913 to 2.042 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

Close Approaches

1995 LE's orbit is 0.11 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.

1995 LE has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1995 LE's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 3, 1995. It was last officially observed on Jan. 18, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 303 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 1995 LE:

• 5 Astraea (A845 XA)
• 13 Egeria (A850 VA)
• 14 Irene (A851 KA)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 10860 (1995 LE) 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 1995 LE 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.