Key Facts
- Categorized as a Interior-Earth Asteroid
- Comparable in size to Mount Everest
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2020 AV2 is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that is entirely confined within Earth's orbit. NASA JPL has classified 2020 AV2 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 AV2 orbits the sun every 151 days (0.41 years), coming as close as 0.46 AU and reaching as far as 0.65 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 AV2 is probably between 1.551 to 3.468 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.
No Close Approaches
2020 AV2's orbit is 0.35 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.
Images and Observations
2020 AV2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 4, 2020. It was last officially observed on Sept. 4, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 238 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 AV2:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2459396.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.5554 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.177
- Inclination: 15.87°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 6.71°
- Argument of Periapsis: 187.33°
- Mean Anomaly: 85.29°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~2.002 km
- Magnitude: 16.17
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 151 days (0.41 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 40.01 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 0.65 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.46 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2020 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2020 AV2 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
