Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court (0.14 km diameter)
- Will pass within 3,152,339 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2010 PK9 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2010 PK9 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2010 PK9 orbits the sun every 206 days (0.56 years), coming as close as 0.22 AU and reaching as far as 1.14 AU from the sun. 2010 PK9 is about 0.1 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2010 PK9's orbit is 0.02 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.
2010 PK9 has 57 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 26, 2019 | 3,152,339 | 16.491 |
| Aug. 16, 2023 | 22,002,096 | 14.308 |
| Sept. 3, 2027 | 20,704,884 | 17.648 |
| July 25, 2028 | 6,889,574 | 18.145 |
| Aug. 9, 2032 | 20,428,961 | 14.332 |
| Sept. 1, 2036 | 19,025,001 | 15.874 |
| July 26, 2037 | 17,516,408 | 20.451 |
| Aug. 2, 2041 | 16,015,068 | 14.616 |
| Aug. 27, 2045 | 20,516,104 | 14.793 |
| July 28, 2046 | 29,454,757 | 23.160 |
| July 28, 2050 | 8,766,128 | 15.469 |
| Aug. 21, 2054 | 22,051,671 | 14.368 |
| Sept. 3, 2058 | 23,721,136 | 18.918 |
| July 26, 2059 | 2,388,135 | 17.017 |
| Aug. 13, 2063 | 21,557,465 | 14.280 |
| Sept. 3, 2067 | 19,293,094 | 16.398 |
| July 25, 2068 | 14,251,577 | 19.744 |
| Aug. 3, 2072 | 17,106,988 | 14.512 |
| Aug. 28, 2076 | 20,489,350 | 14.871 |
| July 28, 2077 | 28,634,706 | 22.987 |
| July 28, 2081 | 8,708,605 | 15.469 |
| Aug. 20, 2085 | 22,180,996 | 14.380 |
| Sept. 3, 2089 | 23,440,110 | 18.763 |
| July 26, 2090 | 2,622,078 | 17.173 |
| Aug. 12, 2094 | 21,367,511 | 14.299 |
| Sept. 2, 2098 | 19,340,958 | 16.146 |
| July 26, 2099 | 15,871,503 | 20.108 |
| Aug. 4, 2103 | 16,136,435 | 14.609 |
| Aug. 28, 2107 | 20,946,531 | 14.718 |
| July 28, 2112 | 6,943,333 | 15.752 |
| Aug. 19, 2116 | 22,338,232 | 14.318 |
| Sept. 4, 2120 | 22,167,982 | 18.172 |
| July 26, 2121 | 4,616,016 | 17.678 |
| Aug. 11, 2125 | 20,753,294 | 14.297 |
| Sept. 2, 2129 | 19,441,333 | 15.730 |
| July 28, 2130 | 19,085,083 | 20.810 |
| Aug. 2, 2134 | 14,389,035 | 14.756 |
| Aug. 26, 2138 | 21,545,410 | 14.565 |
| Sept. 5, 2142 | 27,372,375 | 20.067 |
| July 28, 2143 | 3,987,353 | 16.253 |
| Aug. 18, 2147 | 22,295,549 | 14.292 |
| Sept. 5, 2151 | 20,854,350 | 17.509 |
| July 26, 2152 | 7,657,319 | 18.338 |
| Aug. 9, 2156 | 19,932,616 | 14.345 |
| Sept. 1, 2160 | 19,683,632 | 15.454 |
| July 28, 2161 | 21,508,773 | 21.383 |
| Aug. 1, 2165 | 13,159,677 | 14.894 |
| Aug. 25, 2169 | 21,865,333 | 14.506 |
| Sept. 5, 2173 | 26,242,445 | 19.701 |
| July 28, 2174 | 2,781,219 | 16.524 |
| Aug. 17, 2178 | 22,234,891 | 14.293 |
| Sept. 5, 2182 | 20,553,989 | 17.253 |
| July 27, 2183 | 8,793,051 | 18.603 |
| Aug. 9, 2187 | 19,625,242 | 14.370 |
| Sept. 2, 2191 | 19,861,299 | 15.363 |
| July 28, 2192 | 21,995,399 | 21.482 |
| Aug. 1, 2196 | 13,111,247 | 14.909 |
Images and Observations
2010 PK9's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 18, 2010. It was last officially observed on Aug. 4, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 106 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 2010 PK9:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.682 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.6759
- Inclination: 12.59°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 306.52°
- Argument of Periapsis: 195.64°
- Mean Anomaly: 234.61°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.14300 km
- Magnitude: 21.87
- Albedo: 0.138
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 206 days (0.56 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 36.02 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.14 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.22 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2010 PK9 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 2010 PK9 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.
