Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 21,368,763 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2012 JR4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2012 JR4 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.
2012 JR4 orbits the sun every 512 days (1.40 years), coming as close as 1.08 AU and reaching as far as 1.43 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2012 JR4 is probably between 0.042 to 0.094 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2012 JR4's orbit is 0.14 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.
2012 JR4 has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 6, 2019 | 21,368,763 | 8.357 |
| May 4, 2026 | 23,172,304 | 8.671 |
| May 2, 2033 | 26,654,637 | 9.142 |
| May 16, 2120 | 28,735,641 | 7.815 |
| May 13, 2127 | 23,949,903 | 7.882 |
| May 10, 2134 | 21,347,402 | 8.016 |
| May 7, 2141 | 20,746,574 | 8.225 |
| May 6, 2148 | 21,774,514 | 8.489 |
| May 5, 2155 | 24,345,097 | 8.871 |
| May 3, 2162 | 28,647,040 | 9.400 |
Images and Observations
2012 JR4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 13, 2012. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 53 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 2012 JR4:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.252 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1393
- Inclination: 15.38°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 56.22°
- Argument of Periapsis: 113.55°
- Mean Anomaly: 80.34°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.054 km
- Magnitude: 24.0
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 512 days (1.40 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.60 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.43 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.08 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2012 JR4 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 2012 JR4 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.
