153951 (2002 AC3)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-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

153951 (2002 AC3) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2002 AC3 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 AC3 orbits the sun every 909 days (2.49 years), coming as close as 1.21 AU and reaching as far as 2.46 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 AC3 is probably between 0.475 to 1.062 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 2002 AC3 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.07 hours.

No Close Approaches

2002 AC3's orbit is 0.25 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

2002 AC3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 23, 2001. It was last officially observed on Feb. 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 706 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 AC3:

• 3040 Kozai (1979 BA)
• 3757 Anagolay (1982 XB)
• 4341 Poseidon (1987 KF)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 153951 (2002 AC3) 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 AC3 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.