Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
- Will pass within 18,467,545 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2014 SJ262 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2014 SJ262 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 SJ262 orbits the sun every 440 days (1.20 years), coming as close as 1.00 AU and reaching as far as 1.27 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2014 SJ262 is probably between 0.140 to 0.620 kilometers in diameter, making it small in absolute terms, but larger than 90% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.
Close Approaches
2014 SJ262's orbit is 0.06 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
2014 SJ262 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 15, 2020 | 18,467,545 | 6.788 |
| May 16, 2055 | 17,312,381 | 6.195 |
| May 13, 2061 | 12,011,237 | 3.882 |
| Sept. 15, 2067 | 9,476,814 | 4.196 |
| Sept. 16, 2073 | 18,087,166 | 6.744 |
| Sept. 16, 2120 | 9,441,351 | 4.092 |
| Sept. 17, 2173 | 9,655,713 | 3.947 |
Images and Observations
2014 SJ262's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 27, 2014. It was last officially observed on Oct. 19, 2014. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 45 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2014 SJ262 can be reached with a journey of 250 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.434 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 42,734 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2014 SJ262.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2014 SJ262:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2459000.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.132 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1189
- Inclination: 6.07°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 199.11°
- Argument of Periapsis: 96.56°
- Mean Anomaly: 313.12°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.380 km
- Magnitude: 25.5
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 440 days (1.20 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.99 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.27 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.00 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2014 SJ262 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2014 SJ262 to create an approximate landscape rendering. The approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.