143947 (2003 YQ117)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 143947 (2003 YQ117)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 15,575,276 km of Earth in 2022
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

143947 (2003 YQ117) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 YQ117 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 YQ117 orbits the sun every 1,180 days (3.23 years), coming as close as 0.75 AU and reaching as far as 3.61 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 YQ117 is probably between 2.242 to 5.012 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

Close Approaches

2003 YQ117's orbit is 0.10 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 YQ117 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 12, 2022 15,575,276 20.145
Nov. 6, 2051 18,302,383 19.024
Oct. 28, 2080 24,565,296 18.185
Nov. 23, 2183 28,841,722 23.498

Images and Observations

2003 YQ117's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 15, 2002. It was last officially observed on Feb. 27, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,831 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 YQ117:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.181 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6548
  • Inclination: 21.04°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 217.48°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 135.73°
  • Mean Anomaly: 103.5°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.894 km
  • Magnitude: 15.37

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,180 days (3.23 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.11 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.61 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.75 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 143947 (2003 YQ117) 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 YQ117 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.