Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 26,494,101 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
1999 AO10 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1999 AO10 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 AO10 orbits the sun every 318 days (0.87 years), coming as close as 0.81 AU and reaching as far as 1.01 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 AO10 is probably between 0.029 to 0.129 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
1999 AO10's orbit is 0.02 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 AO10 has 24 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 19, 2019 | 26,494,101 | 4.435 |
| Feb. 13, 2026 | 4,010,405 | 2.687 |
| Sept. 15, 2032 | 27,755,906 | 4.912 |
| March 17, 2033 | 23,686,090 | 7.692 |
| Dec. 26, 2045 | 11,831,555 | 5.180 |
| June 6, 2046 | 24,490,640 | 3.796 |
| Feb. 20, 2053 | 3,910,314 | 2.703 |
| Sept. 16, 2059 | 27,478,812 | 4.822 |
| March 16, 2060 | 22,427,349 | 7.426 |
| Dec. 24, 2072 | 16,791,163 | 6.276 |
| June 14, 2073 | 26,018,812 | 4.294 |
| Feb. 1, 2080 | 4,076,587 | 2.648 |
| Sept. 22, 2086 | 26,471,344 | 4.523 |
| March 16, 2087 | 18,200,651 | 6.523 |
| Dec. 24, 2099 | 21,066,001 | 7.216 |
| June 21, 2100 | 27,203,137 | 4.662 |
| Sept. 24, 2113 | 26,196,009 | 4.429 |
| March 15, 2114 | 17,086,116 | 6.281 |
| Dec. 23, 2126 | 15,867,712 | 6.103 |
| June 12, 2127 | 25,888,518 | 4.225 |
| Feb. 21, 2134 | 3,864,185 | 2.735 |
| Sept. 3, 2140 | 28,836,522 | 5.195 |
| March 13, 2141 | 29,120,396 | 8.864 |
| Dec. 25, 2153 | 5,867,858 | 3.885 |
Images and Observations
1999 AO10's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 13, 1999. It was last officially observed on Feb. 15, 1999. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 73 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
1999 AO10 can be reached with a journey of 410 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 5.872 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 471,975 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 1999 AO10.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1999 AO10:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9122 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1108
- Inclination: 2.62°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 313.14°
- Argument of Periapsis: 7.92°
- Mean Anomaly: 263.38°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.079 km
- Magnitude: 23.9
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 318 days (0.87 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.21 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.01 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.81 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 1999 AO10 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 1999 AO10 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.
