Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 12,065,306 km of Earth in 2020
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

159402 (1999 AP10) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1999 AP10 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.

1999 AP10 orbits the sun every 1,340 days (3.67 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 3.74 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 AP10 is probably between 1.261 to 2.819 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 1999 AP10 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.92 hours.

Close Approaches

1999 AP10's orbit is 0.08 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.

1999 AP10 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Oct. 19, 2020 12,065,306 8.076
Dec. 1, 2031 25,248,444 9.971
Sept. 29, 2156 23,813,010 12.807
Sept. 27, 2167 29,396,824 13.991
Oct. 1, 2178 23,585,186 12.346
Oct. 16, 2189 12,606,757 8.664

Images and Observations

1999 AP10's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 15, 1999. It was last officially observed on May 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 5,347 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 1999 AP10:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.38 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5721
  • Inclination: 7.57°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 356.84°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 47.61°
  • Mean Anomaly: 279.67°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.627 km
  • Magnitude: 16.62

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,340 days (3.67 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.32 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.74 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.02 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.92 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 159402 (1999 AP10) 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 1999 AP10 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.