159929 (2005 UK)

Mid-sized Amor-class Asteroid

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Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 159929 (2005 UK)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.62 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 19,025,969 km of Earth in 2033
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

159929 (2005 UK) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2005 UK 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.

2005 UK orbits the sun every 947 days (2.59 years), coming as close as 1.12 AU and reaching as far as 2.66 AU from the sun. 2005 UK is about 2.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2005 UK has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 33.40 hours.

Close Approaches

2005 UK's orbit is 0.13 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.

2005 UK has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 4, 2033 19,025,969 28.908
May 6, 2090 20,187,042 28.795
May 9, 2147 24,697,578 28.690
April 30, 2160 26,558,676 29.705

Images and Observations

2005 UK's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 30, 1976. It was last officially observed on Nov. 19, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 346 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 2005 UK:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.887 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4073
  • Inclination: 54.44°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 222.55°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 19.46°
  • Mean Anomaly: 93.84°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.62000 km
  • Magnitude: 17.73
  • Albedo: 0.026

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 947 days (2.59 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.68 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.66 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.12 AU
  • Rotation Period: 33.40 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 159929 (2005 UK) 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 2005 UK 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.