Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
- Will pass within 19,897,574 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2020 AK is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 AK 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.
2020 AK orbits the sun every 931 days (2.55 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 2.85 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 AK is probably between 0.365 to 0.817 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.
Close Approaches
2020 AK's orbit is 0.08 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.
2020 AK has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 5, 2025 | 19,897,574 | 10.759 |
| June 6, 2053 | 15,576,156 | 10.781 |
| March 14, 2076 | 24,515,186 | 14.594 |
| June 27, 2081 | 12,261,562 | 12.327 |
| April 6, 2104 | 18,051,213 | 10.982 |
| July 14, 2109 | 28,532,312 | 16.635 |
| May 25, 2132 | 18,110,847 | 10.750 |
| March 22, 2155 | 20,036,455 | 13.098 |
| July 5, 2160 | 15,919,322 | 13.623 |
| May 14, 2183 | 19,288,912 | 10.789 |
Images and Observations
2020 AK's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 29, 2019. It was last officially observed on Oct. 14, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 114 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 2020 AK:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.866 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.527
- Inclination: 8.13°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 243.19°
- Argument of Periapsis: 344.56°
- Mean Anomaly: 127.33°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.471 km
- Magnitude: 19.31
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 931 days (2.55 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.80 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.85 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.88 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2020 AK 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 2020 AK 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.
