17181 (1999 UM3)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 17181 (1999 UM3)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
  • Will pass within 24,956,546 km of Earth in 2139
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

17181 (1999 UM3) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1999 UM3 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.

1999 UM3 orbits the sun every 1,330 days (3.64 years), coming as close as 0.77 AU and reaching as far as 3.97 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 UM3 is probably between 1.171 to 2.618 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

Close Approaches

1999 UM3's orbit is 0.07 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.

1999 UM3 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
April 27, 2139 24,956,546 15.653
May 7, 2161 27,177,344 18.907
Jan. 11, 2183 20,219,357 14.024
Dec. 30, 2193 7,635,943 15.646

Images and Observations

1999 UM3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 24, 1955. It was last officially observed on June 3, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,121 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 1999 UM3:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.37 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6739
  • Inclination: 10.65°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 113.56°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 36.79°
  • Mean Anomaly: 167.79°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.512 km
  • Magnitude: 16.78

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,330 days (3.64 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.39 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.97 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.77 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 17181 (1999 UM3) 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 1999 UM3 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.