Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 20,578,476 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2018 SF3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 SF3 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 SF3 orbits the sun every 372 days (1.02 years), coming as close as 0.86 AU and reaching as far as 1.17 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 SF3 is probably between 0.015 to 0.067 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2018 SF3's orbit is 0.06 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 SF3 has 41 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 9, 2019 | 20,578,476 | 4.572 |
| Jan. 21, 2020 | 22,330,384 | 4.771 |
| Aug. 13, 2020 | 25,167,022 | 4.649 |
| Feb. 23, 2021 | 19,486,821 | 5.152 |
| July 15, 2021 | 26,195,543 | 4.103 |
| March 29, 2022 | 13,751,328 | 4.706 |
| April 26, 2023 | 11,918,650 | 5.611 |
| May 8, 2024 | 23,664,626 | 8.483 |
| Oct. 20, 2069 | 29,244,849 | 9.893 |
| Oct. 22, 2070 | 14,150,544 | 6.618 |
| Oct. 13, 2071 | 10,927,490 | 4.416 |
| Sept. 16, 2072 | 18,768,316 | 4.498 |
| Jan. 9, 2073 | 22,286,021 | 4.408 |
| Aug. 21, 2073 | 24,259,080 | 4.677 |
| Feb. 14, 2074 | 20,608,608 | 5.182 |
| July 24, 2074 | 26,291,429 | 4.354 |
| March 20, 2075 | 15,450,833 | 4.832 |
| April 20, 2076 | 11,091,293 | 5.086 |
| May 6, 2077 | 20,004,399 | 7.679 |
| Oct. 21, 2122 | 29,198,756 | 9.901 |
| Oct. 24, 2123 | 14,053,862 | 6.575 |
| Oct. 13, 2124 | 11,073,160 | 4.391 |
| Sept. 16, 2125 | 18,924,503 | 4.489 |
| Jan. 11, 2126 | 22,262,833 | 4.467 |
| Aug. 21, 2126 | 24,374,589 | 4.701 |
| Feb. 16, 2127 | 20,524,535 | 5.182 |
| July 24, 2127 | 26,307,400 | 4.321 |
| March 21, 2128 | 15,286,475 | 4.823 |
| April 23, 2129 | 11,205,973 | 5.161 |
| May 8, 2130 | 20,956,713 | 7.897 |
| Oct. 23, 2175 | 23,850,706 | 8.759 |
| Oct. 22, 2176 | 10,842,731 | 5.618 |
| Oct. 5, 2177 | 13,670,635 | 4.265 |
| Sept. 8, 2178 | 21,011,321 | 4.614 |
| Jan. 23, 2179 | 22,188,072 | 4.895 |
| Aug. 13, 2179 | 25,293,965 | 4.651 |
| Feb. 26, 2180 | 19,276,010 | 5.153 |
| July 14, 2180 | 25,999,374 | 4.087 |
| March 31, 2181 | 13,621,529 | 4.693 |
| April 28, 2182 | 12,444,941 | 5.698 |
| May 11, 2183 | 24,613,074 | 8.661 |
Images and Observations
2018 SF3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 30, 2018. It was last officially observed on Aug. 31, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 39 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2018 SF3 can be reached with a journey of 402 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.107 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 340,610 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2018 SF3.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2018 SF3:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.012 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1526
- Inclination: 6.2°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 355.98°
- Argument of Periapsis: 134.71°
- Mean Anomaly: 201.44°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.041 km
- Magnitude: 25.31
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 372 days (1.02 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.60 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.17 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.86 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2018 SF3 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 SF3 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.
