2012 PP28

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2012 PP28

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 7,962,933 km of Earth in 2040
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2012 PP28 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2012 PP28 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2012 PP28 orbits the sun every 1,020 days (2.79 years), coming as close as 0.78 AU and reaching as far as 3.20 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2012 PP28 is probably between 0.372 to 0.832 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2012 PP28'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.

2012 PP28 has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 16, 2040 7,962,933 13.904
Jan. 2, 2055 25,353,150 20.048
Aug. 10, 2071 16,424,311 16.622
Aug. 28, 2085 21,215,749 12.064
Nov. 25, 2113 24,360,344 12.027
Dec. 26, 2127 7,334,780 16.212
Aug. 9, 2144 19,457,173 17.490
Sept. 13, 2158 27,075,908 11.649
Nov. 16, 2172 28,050,284 12.360
Dec. 24, 2186 5,217,527 15.191

Images and Observations

2012 PP28's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 14, 2012. It was last officially observed on May 25, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 181 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 PP28:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.989 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6067
  • Inclination: 5.67°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 254.06°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 133.67°
  • Mean Anomaly: 319.81°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.480 km
  • Magnitude: 19.27

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,020 days (2.79 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.21 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.20 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.78 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2012 PP28 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 PP28 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.