Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 2,076,609 km of Earth in 2019
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2019 GJ1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2019 GJ1 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.

2019 GJ1 orbits the sun every 738 days (2.02 years), coming as close as 1.00 AU and reaching as far as 2.19 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2019 GJ1 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

2019 GJ1'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.

2019 GJ1 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 31, 2019 2,076,609 7.543
April 15, 2021 15,592,301 9.364

Images and Observations

2019 GJ1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 3, 2019. It was last officially observed on April 5, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 18 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 GJ1:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2458577.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.598 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3729
  • Inclination: 9.81°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 190.19°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 344.31°
  • Mean Anomaly: 8.31°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.013 km
  • Magnitude: 27.1

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 738 days (2.02 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.56 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.19 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.00 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2019 GJ1 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.