153953 (2002 AD9)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

153953 (2002 AD9) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 AD9 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 AD9 orbits the sun every 863 days (2.36 years), coming as close as 0.34 AU and reaching as far as 3.21 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 AD9 is probably between 1.139 to 2.547 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

2002 AD9's spectral type None (Tholen) / L (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.

No Close Approaches

2002 AD9's orbit is 0.41 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 AD9's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 10, 1975. It was last officially observed on April 18, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 310 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 AD9:

• 1981 Midas (1973 EA)
• 3122 Florence (1981 ET3)
• 3691 Bede (1982 FT)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 153953 (2002 AD9) 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 AD9 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.