Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 20,039,704 km of Earth in 2026
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2018 LQ2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2018 LQ2 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 LQ2 orbits the sun every 416 days (1.14 years), coming as close as 1.03 AU and reaching as far as 1.15 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 LQ2 is probably between 0.018 to 0.081 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 LQ2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.47 hours.
Close Approaches
2018 LQ2'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.
2018 LQ2 has 24 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 11, 2026 | 20,039,704 | 4.456 |
| Nov. 13, 2026 | 17,258,682 | 1.785 |
| Jan. 15, 2035 | 24,693,639 | 3.205 |
| March 8, 2043 | 23,150,420 | 3.111 |
| May 15, 2051 | 13,911,017 | 1.295 |
| Sept. 2, 2051 | 12,470,682 | 3.379 |
| Aug. 30, 2059 | 4,180,037 | 1.807 |
| March 6, 2067 | 25,668,966 | 3.402 |
| Dec. 24, 2074 | 24,527,291 | 2.999 |
| Sept. 1, 2082 | 6,179,262 | 2.268 |
| Jan. 4, 2090 | 26,588,698 | 3.337 |
| March 21, 2097 | 25,096,249 | 3.254 |
| July 29, 2104 | 10,982,412 | 2.540 |
| March 1, 2112 | 26,758,117 | 3.567 |
| Jan. 3, 2135 | 25,566,616 | 3.187 |
| Sept. 5, 2142 | 11,467,225 | 3.252 |
| Jan. 14, 2150 | 27,047,927 | 3.444 |
| April 22, 2157 | 20,199,555 | 2.357 |
| Sept. 9, 2157 | 24,962,691 | 5.808 |
| Dec. 14, 2164 | 23,573,425 | 2.766 |
| March 15, 2172 | 25,751,401 | 3.377 |
| July 23, 2179 | 14,706,055 | 3.400 |
| March 9, 2187 | 26,140,132 | 3.479 |
| July 16, 2194 | 23,612,223 | 5.237 |
Images and Observations
2018 LQ2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 5, 2018. It was last officially observed on Nov. 16, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 471 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2018 LQ2 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 5.836 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 588,502 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2018 LQ2.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2018 LQ2:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.091 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.0576
- Inclination: 2.13°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 178.3°
- Argument of Periapsis: 142.8°
- Mean Anomaly: 164.76°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.050 km
- Magnitude: 24.9
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 416 days (1.14 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.53 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.15 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.03 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.47 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2018 LQ2 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 LQ2 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.
