143678 (2003 SA224)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to Mount Everest
• Will pass within 23,505,717 km of Earth in 2042
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

143678 (2003 SA224) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2003 SA224 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.

2003 SA224 orbits the sun every 774 days (2.12 years), coming as close as 1.11 AU and reaching as far as 2.19 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 SA224 is probably between 1.395 to 3.119 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2003 SA224 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 35.00 hours.

Close Approaches

2003 SA224's orbit is 0.15 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.

2003 SA224 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2003 SA224's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 9, 1979. It was last officially observed on June 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,802 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 2003 SA224:

• 3553 Mera (1985 JA)
• 4257 Ubasti (1987 QA)
• 7467 (1989 WQ1)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 143678 (2003 SA224) 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 2003 SA224 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.