153591 (2001 SN263)

Mid-sized Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 153591 (2001 SN263)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.00 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 15,094,028 km of Earth in 2022
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

153591 (2001 SN263) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2001 SN263 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2001 SN263 orbits the sun every 1,020 days (2.79 years), coming as close as 1.03 AU and reaching as far as 2.94 AU from the sun. 2001 SN263 is about 2.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2001 SN263 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.42 hours.

Close Approaches

2001 SN263's orbit is 0.05 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 SN263 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 28, 2022 15,094,028 8.243
March 6, 2036 21,875,076 9.606
Jan. 27, 2109 15,077,208 7.708
Feb. 15, 2123 7,442,407 6.657
Feb. 25, 2137 11,320,865 7.439
Jan. 23, 2196 19,741,425 8.833

Images and Observations

2001 SN263's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 25, 1990. It was last officially observed on July 27, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,595 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 SN263:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.987 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.48
  • Inclination: 6.69°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 325.74°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 173.06°
  • Mean Anomaly: 202.65°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.00000 km
  • Magnitude: 17.11

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,020 days (2.79 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.19 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.94 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.03 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.42 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 153591 (2001 SN263) 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 SN263 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.