Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 20,644,074 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2015 SO2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2015 SO2 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.
2015 SO2 orbits the sun every 362 days (0.99 years), coming as close as 0.89 AU and reaching as far as 1.10 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2015 SO2 is probably between 0.029 to 0.129 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2015 SO2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.58 hours.
Close Approaches
2015 SO2's orbit is 0.02 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.
2015 SO2 has 19 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 29, 2019 | 20,644,074 | 8.208 |
| Sept. 27, 2020 | 27,202,623 | 9.318 |
| April 21, 2123 | 25,026,578 | 8.685 |
| April 16, 2124 | 19,155,030 | 7.718 |
| April 13, 2125 | 14,151,429 | 6.926 |
| April 9, 2126 | 10,410,980 | 6.339 |
| April 6, 2127 | 8,195,567 | 5.964 |
| April 3, 2128 | 7,236,345 | 5.760 |
| April 2, 2129 | 6,919,602 | 5.646 |
| April 1, 2130 | 6,832,127 | 5.578 |
| April 1, 2131 | 6,792,367 | 5.570 |
| March 31, 2132 | 6,751,068 | 5.586 |
| April 1, 2133 | 6,781,483 | 5.640 |
| April 3, 2134 | 7,078,795 | 5.780 |
| April 6, 2135 | 8,205,803 | 6.017 |
| April 8, 2136 | 10,809,694 | 6.469 |
| April 12, 2137 | 14,953,521 | 7.115 |
| April 16, 2138 | 20,372,145 | 8.020 |
| April 20, 2139 | 26,652,106 | 9.078 |
Images and Observations
2015 SO2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 21, 2015. It was last officially observed on Sept. 4, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 101 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2015 SO2 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.586 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 5,424 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2015 SO2.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2015 SO2:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9944 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1088
- Inclination: 9.17°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 182.71°
- Argument of Periapsis: 291.82°
- Mean Anomaly: 266.43°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.079 km
- Magnitude: 23.9
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 362 days (0.99 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.88 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.10 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.89 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.58 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2015 SO2 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 2015 SO2 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.
