Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 1,272,086 km of Earth in 2028
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2011 LJ19 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 LJ19 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2011 LJ19 orbits the sun every 1,550 days (4.24 years), coming as close as 0.99 AU and reaching as far as 4.25 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 LJ19 is probably between 0.146 to 0.327 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

The rotation of 2011 LJ19 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.69 hours.

Close Approaches

2011 LJ19's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2011 LJ19 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
July 25, 2028 1,272,086 9.802

Images and Observations

2011 LJ19's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 29, 2011. It was last officially observed on Nov. 12, 2011. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 418 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 2011 LJ19:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.622 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6208
  • Inclination: 1.54°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 296.44°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 30.47°
  • Mean Anomaly: 302.11°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.189 km
  • Magnitude: 21.3

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,550 days (4.24 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.40 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.25 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.99 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.69 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2011 LJ19 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 2011 LJ19 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.