Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 4,363,411 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2011 YU74 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 YU74 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.
2011 YU74 orbits the sun every 529 days (1.45 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 1.61 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 YU74 is probably between 0.044 to 0.195 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2011 YU74'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.
2011 YU74 has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 13, 2025 | 4,363,411 | 5.022 |
| May 26, 2038 | 6,803,500 | 6.795 |
| Feb. 8, 2054 | 17,105,325 | 8.927 |
| March 27, 2067 | 8,950,216 | 4.544 |
| May 29, 2080 | 11,192,396 | 7.777 |
| Feb. 19, 2096 | 5,167,369 | 6.049 |
| April 7, 2109 | 9,194,274 | 4.553 |
| May 23, 2122 | 3,307,185 | 5.913 |
| March 1, 2138 | 5,386,224 | 5.008 |
| Feb. 8, 2154 | 21,333,699 | 9.810 |
| May 28, 2167 | 6,447,569 | 6.776 |
| June 2, 2183 | 13,264,358 | 8.221 |
Images and Observations
2011 YU74's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 27, 2011. It was last officially observed on Sept. 4, 2015. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 110 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2011 YU74 can be reached with a journey of 306 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.041 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 38,111 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2011 YU74.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2011 YU74:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.28 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2593
- Inclination: 1.96°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 275.33°
- Argument of Periapsis: 275.84°
- Mean Anomaly: 330.68°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.120 km
- Magnitude: 23.0
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 529 days (1.45 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.32 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.61 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.95 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2011 YU74 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 YU74 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.
