154268 (2002 RM129)

Small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 154268 (2002 RM129)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 26,449,229 km of Earth in 2031
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

154268 (2002 RM129) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 RM129 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 RM129 orbits the sun every 679 days (1.86 years), coming as close as 0.81 AU and reaching as far as 2.21 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 RM129 is probably between 0.638 to 1.426 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.

Close Approaches

2002 RM129's orbit is 0.18 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.

2002 RM129 has 13 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 29, 2031 26,449,229 13.225
Feb. 4, 2044 26,446,687 13.237
Feb. 8, 2057 26,509,976 13.220
Feb. 5, 2070 26,382,823 13.220
Feb. 10, 2083 26,427,722 13.188
Feb. 15, 2096 26,581,047 13.145
Feb. 20, 2109 26,760,741 13.108
Feb. 24, 2122 26,970,426 13.064
March 2, 2135 27,315,783 12.999
March 7, 2148 27,872,186 12.971
March 5, 2161 27,638,491 12.969
March 9, 2174 28,125,034 12.973
March 16, 2187 29,046,476 13.061

Images and Observations

2002 RM129's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 16, 2002. It was last officially observed on June 6, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 319 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 RM129:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.511 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4648
  • Inclination: 14.57°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 132.66°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 357.56°
  • Mean Anomaly: 9.57°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.823 km
  • Magnitude: 18.1

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 679 days (1.86 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.21 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.21 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.81 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 154268 (2002 RM129) 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 RM129 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.