2003 UB5

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 16,019,683 km of Earth in 2041
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2003 UB5 is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2003 UB5 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2003 UB5 orbits the sun every 1,530 days (4.19 years), coming as close as 1.03 AU and reaching as far as 4.17 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 UB5 is probably between 0.318 to 0.711 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

2003 UB5'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.

2003 UB5 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2003 UB5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 17, 2003. It was last officially observed on April 17, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 347 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 2003 UB5:

• 56 Melete (A857 RB)
• 111 Ate (A870 PA)
• 132 Aethra (A873 LA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2003 UB5 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 UB5 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.