188174 (2002 JC)

Mid-sized Aten-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Aten-class Asteroids » 188174 (2002 JC)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 28,210,743 km of Earth in 2031
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

188174 (2002 JC) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 JC 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.

2002 JC orbits the sun every 271 days (0.74 years), coming as close as 0.50 AU and reaching as far as 1.14 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 JC is probably between 0.864 to 1.932 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 2002 JC has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.47 hours.

Close Approaches

2002 JC's orbit is 0.09 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.

2002 JC has 15 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
June 2, 2031 28,210,743 20.364
May 26, 2034 14,807,728 23.056
May 28, 2054 13,764,900 22.403
May 29, 2074 15,255,348 21.790
May 21, 2077 27,165,962 25.380
May 31, 2094 19,503,830 21.144
May 23, 2097 21,136,944 24.368
June 3, 2114 24,442,444 20.667
May 26, 2117 16,709,130 23.555
May 28, 2137 14,047,956 22.788
May 29, 2157 14,106,633 22.113
May 21, 2160 29,857,848 25.805
May 31, 2177 16,527,443 21.547
May 23, 2180 24,716,698 24.980
June 2, 2197 21,543,699 20.927

Images and Observations

2002 JC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 16, 1991. It was last officially observed on June 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 381 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 2002 JC:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.8189 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3908
  • Inclination: 40.86°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 69.38°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 306.91°
  • Mean Anomaly: 112.91°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.116 km
  • Magnitude: 17.44

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 271 days (0.74 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 32.87 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.14 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.50 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.47 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 188174 (2002 JC) 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 2002 JC 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.