2014 LZ20

Very small Aten-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Aten-class Asteroids » 2014 LZ20

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 7,737,974 km of Earth in 2023
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2014 LZ20 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2014 LZ20 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.

2014 LZ20 orbits the sun every 236 days (0.65 years), coming as close as 0.42 AU and reaching as far as 1.07 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2014 LZ20 is probably between 0.034 to 0.076 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2014 LZ20'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.

2014 LZ20 has 35 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 14, 2023 7,737,974 9.452
June 30, 2025 12,227,221 11.381
May 11, 2032 25,295,014 14.096
June 16, 2034 6,673,179 8.300
May 19, 2043 6,957,479 8.627
June 30, 2045 18,803,545 12.881
May 10, 2052 18,622,615 12.504
June 23, 2054 4,615,416 8.804
May 26, 2063 7,787,232 8.262
June 30, 2065 24,142,134 14.119
May 10, 2072 15,275,965 11.696
June 26, 2074 4,566,838 9.163
May 31, 2083 8,208,937 8.135
June 29, 2085 28,633,179 15.114
May 11, 2092 10,516,462 10.497
June 29, 2094 7,385,446 10.146
June 12, 2103 7,871,869 8.148
May 16, 2112 6,720,018 9.120
July 2, 2114 14,276,609 11.823
May 12, 2121 22,613,098 13.504
June 20, 2123 6,042,475 8.435
May 20, 2132 6,607,023 8.634
July 2, 2134 18,403,500 12.749
May 12, 2141 19,549,296 12.800
June 24, 2143 5,280,892 8.643
May 21, 2152 6,698,854 8.518
July 2, 2154 18,944,737 12.891
May 12, 2161 19,900,804 12.880
June 23, 2163 5,472,054 8.612
May 21, 2172 6,674,367 8.516
July 2, 2174 19,319,267 12.956
May 12, 2181 20,490,531 13.044
June 22, 2183 5,754,237 8.544
May 21, 2192 6,574,828 8.508
July 2, 2194 19,791,278 13.043

Images and Observations

2014 LZ20's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 6, 2014. It was last officially observed on May 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 30 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 2014 LZ20:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.7465 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4324
  • Inclination: 6.13°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 79.63°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 355.18°
  • Mean Anomaly: 316.09°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.044 km
  • Magnitude: 24.46

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 236 days (0.65 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 34.41 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.07 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.42 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2014 LZ20 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 2014 LZ20 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.