1994 GL

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 4,081,081 km of Earth in 2020
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

1994 GL is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1994 GL 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.

1994 GL orbits the sun every 206 days (0.56 years), coming as close as 0.34 AU and reaching as far as 1.03 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1994 GL is probably between 0.021 to 0.047 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

1994 GL's orbit is 0.01 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.

1994 GL has 42 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1994 GL's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 7, 1994. It was last officially observed on April 6, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 104 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 1994 GL:

• 364136 (2006 CJ)
• 413563 (2005 TG45)
• 437844 (1999 MN)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 1994 GL 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 1994 GL 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.