2018 NJ is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 NJ 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 NJ orbits the sun every 698 days (1.91 years), coming as close as 1.01 AU and reaching as far as 2.07 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 NJ is probably between 0.005 to 0.020 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2018 NJ's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2018 NJ has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 3, 2039 | 5,294,233 | 5.886 |
| June 22, 2062 | 8,656,447 | 7.396 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 34 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| July 10, 2083 | 0.15040 | 0.02005 |
| July 10, 2110 | 0.00133 | 0.02006 |
| July 10, 2114 | 0.00089 | 0.02006 |
| July 10, 2116 | 0.00083 | 0.02005 |
| July 10, 2100 | 0.00034 | 0.02004 |
| July 10, 2122 | 0.00024 | 0.02005 |
| July 9, 2094 | 0.00015 | 0.02007 |
| July 10, 2115 | 0.00014 | 0.02009 |
| July 10, 2110 | 0.00009 | 0.02006 |
| July 10, 2107 | 0.00006 | 0.02007 |
| July 10, 2111 | 0.00006 | 0.02005 |
| July 9, 2099 | 0.00004 | 0.02009 |
| July 9, 2088 | 0.00003 | 0.02008 |
| July 10, 2122 | 0.00002 | 0.02007 |
| July 9, 2090 | 0.00002 | 0.02007 |
| July 10, 2119 | 0.00002 | 0.02007 |
| July 10, 2119 | 0.00002 | 0.02006 |
| July 9, 2095 | 0.00002 | 0.02006 |
| July 10, 2114 | 0.00002 | 0.02005 |
| July 10, 2120 | 0.00002 | 0.02011 |
| July 10, 2102 | 0.00002 | 0.02008 |
| July 9, 2116 | 0.00001 | 0.02005 |
| July 10, 2111 | 0.00001 | 0.02006 |
| July 10, 2116 | 0.00001 | 0.02007 |
| June 24, 2092 | 0.00001 | 0.02012 |
| July 10, 2114 | 0.00001 | 0.02007 |
| July 10, 2115 | 0.00001 | 0.02009 |
| July 9, 2094 | 0.00001 | 0.02006 |
| July 10, 2105 | 0.00001 | 0.02006 |
| July 9, 2090 | 0.00000 | 0.02007 |
| July 10, 2121 | 0.00000 | 0.02008 |
| July 9, 2089 | 0.00000 | 0.02005 |
| July 10, 2100 | 0.00000 | 0.02005 |
| July 11, 2111 | 0.00000 | 0.02007 |
2018 NJ's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 5, 2018. It was last officially observed on Aug. 10, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 38 observations used to determine its orbit.
2018 NJ can be reached with a journey of 402 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.239 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 36 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2018 NJ.
The position of 2018 NJ 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.