2013 AA32

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 20,450,083 km of Earth in 2019
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2013 AA32 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2013 AA32 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.

2013 AA32 orbits the sun every 1,240 days (3.39 years), coming as close as 0.60 AU and reaching as far as 3.93 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2013 AA32 is probably between 0.350 to 0.784 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

2013 AA32's orbit is 0.10 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.

2013 AA32 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2013 AA32's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 6, 2013. It was last officially observed on July 6, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 89 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 2013 AA32:

• 40 Harmonia (A856 FA)
• 72 Feronia (A861 KA)
• 298 Baptistina (A890 RB)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2013 AA32 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 2013 AA32 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.