Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 6,498,401 km of Earth in 2026
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

162882 (2001 FD58) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 FD58 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2001 FD58 orbits the sun every 417 days (1.14 years), coming as close as 0.46 AU and reaching as far as 1.72 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 FD58 is probably between 0.460 to 1.028 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

2001 FD58'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.

2001 FD58 has 26 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 14, 2026 6,498,401 19.162
Feb. 13, 2034 4,867,271 18.337
Feb. 13, 2042 5,482,860 17.798
Feb. 12, 2050 8,443,844 16.939
Feb. 10, 2058 14,133,728 15.726
Feb. 10, 2066 20,622,252 14.480
Feb. 9, 2074 26,284,384 13.481
June 26, 2079 27,840,867 13.919
Feb. 9, 2082 29,859,573 12.919
June 26, 2087 26,464,423 14.253
June 26, 2095 27,081,445 14.108
Feb. 9, 2098 29,516,488 12.976
June 28, 2103 28,996,249 13.663
Feb. 10, 2106 26,908,591 13.399
Feb. 10, 2114 23,714,857 13.942
Feb. 11, 2122 21,006,504 14.426
Feb. 11, 2130 19,594,214 14.692
Feb. 11, 2138 19,887,348 14.627
Feb. 11, 2146 22,314,847 14.179
Feb. 10, 2154 26,538,273 13.447
June 27, 2159 27,107,131 14.079
June 26, 2167 22,396,885 15.265
June 24, 2175 18,614,677 16.500
June 23, 2183 16,620,741 17.667
June 21, 2191 16,580,155 18.802
June 20, 2199 18,285,101 19.880

Images and Observations

2001 FD58's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 12, 2000. It was last officially observed on May 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 407 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 2001 FD58:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.092 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5753
  • Inclination: 6.5°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 341.16°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 46.01°
  • Mean Anomaly: 3.14°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.594 km
  • Magnitude: 18.81

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 417 days (1.14 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.49 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.72 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.46 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 162882 (2001 FD58) 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 2001 FD58 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.