Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 26,026,689 km of Earth in 2096
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

162687 (2000 UH1) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 UH1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2000 UH1 orbits the sun every 938 days (2.57 years), coming as close as 0.86 AU and reaching as far as 2.89 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 UH1 is probably between 0.441 to 0.986 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

2000 UH1's orbit is 0.03 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.

2000 UH1 has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 3, 2096 26,026,689 11.984
Dec. 16, 2113 14,416,006 12.431
Dec. 10, 2131 8,967,357 13.032
Dec. 14, 2149 12,949,502 12.585
Jan. 4, 2168 25,909,839 11.904

Images and Observations

2000 UH1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 18, 2000. It was last officially observed on July 3, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 306 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 2000 UH1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.875 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5436
  • Inclination: 14.77°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 76.13°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 40.97°
  • Mean Anomaly: 299.2°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.569 km
  • Magnitude: 18.9

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 938 days (2.57 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.75 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.89 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.86 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 162687 (2000 UH1) 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 2000 UH1 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.