2000 SZ162 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 SZ162 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.
2000 SZ162 orbits the sun every 327 days (0.90 years), coming as close as 0.77 AU and reaching as far as 1.08 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 SZ162 is probably between 0.006 to 0.027 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2000 SZ162's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2000 SZ162 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 16, 2026 | 7,622,126 | 5.690 |
| July 29, 2034 | 9,497,643 | 3.202 |
| Dec. 20, 2034 | 24,994,881 | 4.240 |
| June 29, 2042 | 19,910,130 | 8.129 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 9 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| June 22, 2070 | 0.00007 | 0.04818 |
| Oct. 8, 2100 | 0.00004 | 0.04811 |
| July 15, 2078 | 0.00003 | 0.04851 |
| July 14, 2091 | 0.00003 | 0.04797 |
| June 22, 2078 | 0.00002 | 0.04846 |
| July 13, 2104 | 0.00002 | 0.04806 |
| Oct. 19, 2120 | 0.00001 | 0.04818 |
| June 23, 2079 | 0.00000 | 0.04811 |
| Oct. 8, 2100 | 0.00000 | 0.04809 |
2000 SZ162's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 29, 2000. It was last officially observed on Oct. 7, 2000. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 26 observations used to determine its orbit.
2000 SZ162 can be reached with a journey of 450 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 5.313 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 592,546 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2000 SZ162.
The position of 2000 SZ162 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.