2002 JQ9

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2002 JQ9

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 21,927,884 km of Earth in 2031
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2002 JQ9 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 JQ9 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2002 JQ9 orbits the sun every 454 days (1.24 years), coming as close as 0.70 AU and reaching as far as 1.61 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 JQ9 is probably between 0.377 to 0.843 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2002 JQ9's orbit is 0.05 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.

2002 JQ9 has 19 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 17, 2031 21,927,884 15.529
Nov. 7, 2036 11,590,022 17.800
Oct. 30, 2041 26,198,815 20.846
May 13, 2048 22,502,156 20.000
May 8, 2053 7,151,231 16.853
May 5, 2058 22,418,219 14.414
Nov. 18, 2082 24,468,342 15.261
Nov. 9, 2087 11,245,732 17.438
Oct. 31, 2092 23,194,702 20.354
May 15, 2099 25,846,683 20.558
May 10, 2104 7,590,725 17.302
May 6, 2109 18,751,452 14.809
Nov. 13, 2138 13,645,778 16.579
Nov. 5, 2143 16,124,309 19.106
May 13, 2155 15,771,907 18.923
May 8, 2160 8,970,138 16.140
May 5, 2165 28,390,344 13.857
Nov. 16, 2189 18,975,264 15.782
Nov. 7, 2194 12,690,196 18.381

Images and Observations

2002 JQ9's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 6, 2002. It was last officially observed on Sept. 9, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 190 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 2002 JQ9:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.156 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3944
  • Inclination: 25.0°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 51.88°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 76.11°
  • Mean Anomaly: 113.23°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.487 km
  • Magnitude: 19.24

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 454 days (1.24 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.70 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.61 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.70 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2002 JQ9 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 2002 JQ9 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.