159857 (2004 LJ1)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 159857 (2004 LJ1)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan (3.07 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 23,477,015 km of Earth in 2021
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

159857 (2004 LJ1) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2004 LJ1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2004 LJ1 orbits the sun every 1,240 days (3.39 years), coming as close as 0.92 AU and reaching as far as 3.61 AU from the sun. 2004 LJ1 is about 3.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 2004 LJ1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.73 hours.

Close Approaches

2004 LJ1's orbit is 0.02 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.

2004 LJ1 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 3, 2021 23,477,015 15.294
Nov. 16, 2038 2,967,172 17.172
Nov. 22, 2055 13,353,639 18.862

Images and Observations

2004 LJ1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 3, 1995. It was last officially observed on April 16, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,991 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 2004 LJ1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.263 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5936
  • Inclination: 23.15°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 235.54°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 140.01°
  • Mean Anomaly: 203.61°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.07000 km
  • Magnitude: 15.46
  • Albedo: 0.130

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,240 days (3.39 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.85 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.61 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.92 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.73 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 159857 (2004 LJ1) 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 2004 LJ1 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.