Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 17,005,988 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2005 UG5 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2005 UG5 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.
2005 UG5 orbits the sun every 396 days (1.08 years), coming as close as 0.86 AU and reaching as far as 1.25 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2005 UG5 is probably between 0.024 to 0.107 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2005 UG5's orbit is 0.01 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.
2005 UG5 has 33 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 13, 2019 | 17,005,988 | 3.994 |
| May 24, 2020 | 25,665,598 | 10.148 |
| Oct. 19, 2031 | 25,095,430 | 4.061 |
| Feb. 5, 2032 | 19,377,144 | 4.644 |
| March 6, 2045 | 19,223,650 | 4.729 |
| June 27, 2045 | 26,937,044 | 3.843 |
| Nov. 18, 2056 | 27,339,697 | 10.572 |
| March 30, 2058 | 16,299,803 | 4.147 |
| Nov. 19, 2069 | 24,218,271 | 9.936 |
| April 5, 2071 | 15,359,636 | 3.971 |
| March 15, 2084 | 18,428,264 | 4.555 |
| June 19, 2084 | 24,657,176 | 3.468 |
| Oct. 9, 2096 | 27,727,505 | 4.421 |
| Feb. 16, 2097 | 19,929,177 | 4.799 |
| Nov. 1, 2109 | 20,911,255 | 3.453 |
| Jan. 19, 2110 | 17,844,266 | 4.188 |
| May 26, 2111 | 26,341,391 | 10.269 |
| Nov. 11, 2122 | 18,221,981 | 2.997 |
| Jan. 9, 2123 | 16,366,796 | 3.840 |
| May 24, 2124 | 23,698,423 | 9.765 |
| Oct. 29, 2135 | 22,102,547 | 3.619 |
| Jan. 24, 2136 | 18,321,620 | 4.353 |
| May 26, 2137 | 29,852,996 | 10.976 |
| Oct. 8, 2148 | 28,432,278 | 4.506 |
| Feb. 20, 2149 | 19,768,623 | 4.814 |
| July 8, 2149 | 29,683,336 | 4.312 |
| March 21, 2162 | 17,753,495 | 4.426 |
| June 15, 2162 | 23,359,117 | 3.235 |
| Nov. 20, 2173 | 24,976,709 | 10.095 |
| April 5, 2175 | 15,422,014 | 4.007 |
| Nov. 19, 2186 | 26,963,366 | 10.489 |
| March 28, 2188 | 16,806,500 | 4.227 |
| June 5, 2188 | 21,360,625 | 2.751 |
Images and Observations
2005 UG5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 27, 2005. It was last officially observed on Nov. 1, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 27 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2005 UG5 can be reached with a journey of 386 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.766 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 378,676 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2005 UG5.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2005 UG5:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.055 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1832
- Inclination: 2.73°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 35.76°
- Argument of Periapsis: 111.16°
- Mean Anomaly: 82.93°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.066 km
- Magnitude: 24.3
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 396 days (1.08 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.98 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.25 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.86 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2005 UG5 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 2005 UG5 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.
