142040 (2002 QE15)

Mid-sized Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 142040 (2002 QE15)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon (1.23 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 17,952,002 km of Earth in 2030
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

142040 (2002 QE15) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2002 QE15 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.

2002 QE15 orbits the sun every 786 days (2.15 years), coming as close as 1.09 AU and reaching as far as 2.24 AU from the sun. 2002 QE15 is about 1.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

The rotation of 2002 QE15 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.85 hours.

Close Approaches

2002 QE15's orbit is 0.12 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.

2002 QE15 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 7, 2030 17,952,002 15.950
Nov. 5, 2058 19,322,423 15.554
Nov. 2, 2086 29,801,346 15.507
Nov. 11, 2129 26,787,297 16.795
Nov. 8, 2157 17,790,981 15.882
Nov. 5, 2185 22,542,424 15.504

Images and Observations

2002 QE15's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 20, 1993. It was last officially observed on July 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,434 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 2002 QE15:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.667 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3445
  • Inclination: 28.25°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 226.38°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 160.54°
  • Mean Anomaly: 251.06°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.23200 km
  • Magnitude: 16.26
  • Albedo: 0.353

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 786 days (2.15 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.24 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.09 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.85 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 142040 (2002 QE15) 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 2002 QE15 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.