2018 GE3

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2018 GE3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 GE3 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.

2018 GE3 orbits the sun every 903 days (2.47 years), coming as close as 0.32 AU and reaching as far as 3.34 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 GE3 is probably between 0.046 to 0.103 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

The rotation of 2018 GE3 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.30 hours.

No Close Approaches

2018 GE3's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2018 GE3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 11, 2018. It was last officially observed on April 15, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 130 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 2018 GE3:

• 3757 Anagolay (1982 XB)
• 4055 Magellan (1985 DO2)
• 4341 Poseidon (1987 KF)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2018 GE3 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 2018 GE3 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.