Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court
- Will pass within 13,448,068 km of Earth in 2032
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2018 JK3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 JK3 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2018 JK3 orbits the sun every 340 days (0.93 years), coming as close as 0.69 AU and reaching as far as 1.22 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 JK3 is probably between 0.122 to 0.273 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2018 JK3'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.
2018 JK3 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 24, 2032 | 13,448,068 | 23.239 |
| May 29, 2045 | 25,020,305 | 20.897 |
| May 28, 2059 | 8,930,652 | 21.682 |
| May 27, 2114 | 8,492,492 | 22.746 |
| June 1, 2127 | 29,568,005 | 20.791 |
| May 22, 2128 | 27,531,160 | 24.761 |
Images and Observations
2018 JK3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 15, 2018. It was last officially observed on May 31, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 128 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 JK3:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9541 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2783
- Inclination: 43.23°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 64.58°
- Argument of Periapsis: 305.1°
- Mean Anomaly: 149.28°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.158 km
- Magnitude: 21.69
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 340 days (0.93 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.53 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.22 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.69 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2018 JK3 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 JK3 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.
