153243 (2001 AU47)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

153243 (2001 AU47) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 AU47 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.

2001 AU47 orbits the sun every 541 days (1.48 years), coming as close as 0.61 AU and reaching as far as 1.99 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 AU47 is probably between 0.841 to 1.879 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

No Close Approaches

2001 AU47's orbit is 0.40 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2001 AU47's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 15, 2001. It was last officially observed on March 1, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 409 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 AU47:

• 2102 Tantalus (1975 YA)
• 67367 (2000 LY27)
• 67399 (2000 PJ6)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 153243 (2001 AU47) 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 AU47 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.