2011 UT20

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2011 UT20

Key Facts

Overview

2011 UT20 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 UT20 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2011 UT20 orbits the sun every 474 days (1.30 years), coming as close as 0.67 AU and reaching as far as 1.72 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 UT20 is probably between 0.219 to 0.490 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

No Close Approaches

2011 UT20'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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2011 UT20's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 19, 2011. It was last officially observed on July 9, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 125 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 UT20:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.191 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4407
  • Inclination: 6.56°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 271.34°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 246.46°
  • Mean Anomaly: 328.68°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.283 km
  • Magnitude: 20.42

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 474 days (1.30 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.34 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.72 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.67 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2011 UT20 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 UT20 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.