2001 SZ269

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2001 SZ269

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 22,878,743 km of Earth in 2041
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2001 SZ269 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 SZ269 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2001 SZ269 orbits the sun every 1,330 days (3.64 years), coming as close as 0.80 AU and reaching as far as 3.93 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 SZ269 is probably between 0.289 to 0.646 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 SZ269's orbit is 0.03 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 SZ269 has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 30, 2041 22,878,743 12.935
Aug. 31, 2070 18,720,061 13.215
April 26, 2081 24,438,227 21.299
Aug. 6, 2099 28,757,995 13.077
May 16, 2110 9,658,832 14.893
Aug. 28, 2128 22,944,627 13.076
April 28, 2139 28,318,485 21.959
Sept. 30, 2157 24,468,891 21.162
June 6, 2168 25,539,174 13.015
Sept. 2, 2197 19,741,460 13.124

Images and Observations

2001 SZ269's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 20, 2001. It was last officially observed on Feb. 24, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 155 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 SZ269:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.365 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6615
  • Inclination: 2.45°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 98.95°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 191.19°
  • Mean Anomaly: 31.78°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.373 km
  • Magnitude: 19.82

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,330 days (3.64 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.35 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.93 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.80 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2001 SZ269 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 SZ269 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.