2020 GC

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 1,806,678 km of Earth in 2020
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2020 GC is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 GC 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 GC orbits the sun every 577 days (1.58 years), coming as close as 0.79 AU and reaching as far as 1.92 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 GC is probably between 0.013 to 0.030 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2020 GC'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.

2020 GC has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2020 GC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 2, 2020. It was last officially observed on April 4, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 61 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 GC:

• 5645 (1990 SP)
• 7350 (1993 VA)
• 7482 (1994 PC1)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2020 GC 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.