Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 6,722,771 km of Earth in 2019
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2019 AV2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2019 AV2 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2019 AV2 orbits the sun every 1,410 days (3.86 years), coming as close as 0.87 AU and reaching as far as 4.05 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2019 AV2 is probably between 0.144 to 0.322 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2019 AV2'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.

2019 AV2 has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 1, 2019 6,722,771 13.016
Jan. 21, 2046 8,127,589 15.775
May 10, 2069 23,550,505 14.456
Feb. 16, 2104 14,038,307 11.105
Feb. 28, 2172 16,144,066 8.823

Images and Observations

2019 AV2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 18, 2014. It was last officially observed on June 24, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 192 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 2019 AV2:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.46 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6466
  • Inclination: 9.01°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 119.68°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 54.43°
  • Mean Anomaly: 62.24°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.186 km
  • Magnitude: 21.33

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,410 days (3.86 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.98 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.05 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.87 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2019 AV2 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 2019 AV2 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.