Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 6,216,165 km of Earth in 2019
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

162082 (1998 HL1) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 HL1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

1998 HL1 orbits the sun every 508 days (1.39 years), coming as close as 1.01 AU and reaching as far as 1.48 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 HL1 is probably between 0.399 to 0.891 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.

The rotation of 1998 HL1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 11.79 hours.

Close Approaches

1998 HL1's orbit is 0.04 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.

1998 HL1 has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Oct. 25, 2019 6,216,165 11.214
Oct. 25, 2051 6,980,848 11.075
Oct. 30, 2076 23,782,662 13.124
Oct. 20, 2083 21,305,429 10.843
Oct. 27, 2108 7,203,975 11.438
Oct. 26, 2140 6,183,788 11.287
Oct. 28, 2172 8,914,428 11.620
Oct. 20, 2179 28,734,153 11.089

Images and Observations

1998 HL1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 18, 1998. It was last officially observed on June 8, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,117 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 1998 HL1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.246 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.187
  • Inclination: 20.05°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 213.53°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 148.68°
  • Mean Anomaly: 304.85°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.515 km
  • Magnitude: 19.12

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 508 days (1.39 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.68 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.48 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.01 AU
  • Rotation Period: 11.79 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 162082 (1998 HL1) 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1998 HL1 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.