2018 RD2

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 7,471,259 km of Earth in 2026
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2018 RD2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 RD2 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 RD2 orbits the sun every 266 days (0.73 years), coming as close as 0.56 AU and reaching as far as 1.06 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 RD2 is probably between 0.010 to 0.023 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2018 RD2'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 RD2 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2018 RD2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 4, 2018. It was last officially observed on Sept. 10, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 32 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 RD2:

• 137170 (1999 HF1)
• 188174 (2002 JC)
• 247517 (2002 QY6)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2018 RD2 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.