Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 15,504,186 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2003 FF5 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 FF5 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.
2003 FF5 orbits the sun every 585 days (1.60 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 1.79 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 FF5 is probably between 0.038 to 0.170 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2003 FF5'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.
2003 FF5 has 14 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2019 | 15,504,186 | 5.872 |
| July 1, 2027 | 17,117,462 | 5.834 |
| July 24, 2035 | 18,934,425 | 8.526 |
| April 6, 2080 | 12,900,375 | 9.755 |
| April 14, 2088 | 4,038,304 | 7.535 |
| April 21, 2096 | 7,158,723 | 6.532 |
| May 22, 2104 | 15,644,175 | 5.830 |
| July 7, 2112 | 16,776,871 | 5.994 |
| July 27, 2120 | 20,373,760 | 9.212 |
| April 2, 2157 | 25,476,335 | 12.204 |
| April 11, 2165 | 7,073,494 | 8.529 |
| April 15, 2173 | 4,254,247 | 7.556 |
| April 14, 2181 | 4,612,552 | 7.812 |
| April 6, 2189 | 16,866,603 | 10.542 |
Images and Observations
2003 FF5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 27, 2003. It was last officially observed on Aug. 8, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 158 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2003 FF5 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.085 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 484 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2003 FF5.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2003 FF5:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.37 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3041
- Inclination: 6.34°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 192.74°
- Argument of Periapsis: 54.2°
- Mean Anomaly: 243.99°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.104 km
- Magnitude: 23.3
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 585 days (1.60 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 25.48 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.79 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.95 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2003 FF5 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 2003 FF5 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.
