2018 LG4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 LG4 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 LG4 orbits the sun every 323 days (0.88 years), coming as close as 0.64 AU and reaching as far as 1.20 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 LG4 is probably between 0.007 to 0.031 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2018 LG4's orbit is 0.01 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 LG4 has 27 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 2, 2019 | 5,282,532 | 8.091 |
| July 17, 2026 | 26,402,769 | 6.591 |
| Aug. 26, 2034 | 26,311,195 | 6.540 |
| June 8, 2041 | 3,762,018 | 9.077 |
| Sept. 30, 2042 | 11,251,128 | 6.528 |
| June 9, 2049 | 7,756,264 | 7.012 |
| Oct. 3, 2050 | 5,475,462 | 8.699 |
| July 4, 2057 | 22,915,095 | 6.270 |
| Sept. 29, 2058 | 23,615,526 | 13.028 |
| Aug. 10, 2065 | 28,367,288 | 6.767 |
| June 8, 2072 | 6,865,688 | 9.678 |
| Sept. 30, 2073 | 9,962,272 | 6.726 |
| July 12, 2080 | 24,898,614 | 6.427 |
| June 13, 2087 | 26,142,883 | 13.569 |
| Sept. 7, 2088 | 22,581,208 | 6.176 |
| June 19, 2095 | 15,947,859 | 6.000 |
| Sept. 30, 2096 | 17,924,182 | 11.756 |
| Aug. 17, 2103 | 27,865,345 | 6.694 |
| June 10, 2110 | 5,972,784 | 9.494 |
| Oct. 1, 2111 | 11,643,338 | 6.448 |
| June 13, 2118 | 11,011,612 | 6.456 |
| Oct. 4, 2119 | 8,442,092 | 9.651 |
| July 21, 2126 | 26,965,663 | 6.631 |
| Aug. 17, 2134 | 28,301,897 | 6.752 |
| June 12, 2141 | 22,440,308 | 12.883 |
| June 11, 2149 | 18,469,810 | 12.105 |
| June 13, 2157 | 26,011,661 | 13.645 |
2018 LG4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 8, 2018. It was last officially observed on June 18, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 26 observations used to determine its orbit.
2018 LG4 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.058 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 66,041 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2018 LG4.
The position of 2018 LG4 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.