140288 (2001 SN289)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 140288 (2001 SN289)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon (1.26 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 19,008,489 km of Earth in 2027
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

140288 (2001 SN289) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 SN289 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2001 SN289 orbits the sun every 871 days (2.38 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 2.69 AU from the sun. 2001 SN289 is about 1.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

The rotation of 2001 SN289 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.58 hours.

Close Approaches

2001 SN289'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.

2001 SN289 has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 12, 2027 19,008,489 32.518
March 25, 2077 27,726,813 29.639
March 26, 2108 28,696,305 29.574
March 12, 2151 22,383,871 32.844
March 17, 2182 7,160,153 31.512

Images and Observations

2001 SN289's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 14, 1996. It was last officially observed on May 19, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 423 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 2001 SN289:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.784 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.508
  • Inclination: 53.2°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 357.08°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 225.63°
  • Mean Anomaly: 179.0°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.26300 km
  • Magnitude: 16.74
  • Albedo: 0.231

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 871 days (2.38 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.28 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.69 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.88 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.58 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 140288 (2001 SN289) 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 2001 SN289 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.