2001 GT2

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2001 GT2

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 13,583,853 km of Earth in 2041
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2001 GT2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 GT2 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2001 GT2 orbits the sun every 1,360 days (3.72 years), coming as close as 0.89 AU and reaching as far as 3.92 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 GT2 is probably between 0.291 to 0.652 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2001 GT2's orbit is 0.04 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.

2001 GT2 has 9 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 25, 2041 13,583,853 14.935
April 3, 2053 7,284,874 12.866
Feb. 8, 2079 14,448,768 10.452
Dec. 22, 2093 21,658,904 16.609
April 17, 2105 19,840,316 16.332
Feb. 13, 2131 14,732,742 10.493
Dec. 30, 2145 18,853,860 15.210
Feb. 4, 2172 14,858,283 10.740
Dec. 27, 2197 19,954,804 16.014

Images and Observations

2001 GT2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 15, 2001. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2012. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 83 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 2001 GT2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.404 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6293
  • Inclination: 3.73°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 146.0°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 359.53°
  • Mean Anomaly: 20.29°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.376 km
  • Magnitude: 19.8

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,360 days (3.72 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.23 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.92 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.89 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2001 GT2 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 2001 GT2 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.