2020 KP1

Very small Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 2020 KP1

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 19,394,873 km of Earth in 2020
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2020 KP1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2020 KP1 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 KP1 orbits the sun every 730 days (2.00 years), coming as close as 1.12 AU and reaching as far as 2.05 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 KP1 is probably between 0.064 to 0.143 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2020 KP1's orbit is 0.11 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 KP1 has 21 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 16, 2020 19,394,873 16.846
May 16, 2022 18,719,794 16.813
May 15, 2024 18,272,087 16.812
May 16, 2026 18,033,326 16.792
May 15, 2028 17,764,004 16.782
May 16, 2030 17,638,943 16.780
May 15, 2032 17,607,449 16.775
May 15, 2034 17,549,872 16.769
May 15, 2036 17,538,851 16.779
May 16, 2038 17,641,074 16.772
May 15, 2040 17,640,668 16.781
May 16, 2042 17,767,506 16.789
May 15, 2044 18,031,736 16.791
May 16, 2046 18,281,829 16.800
May 16, 2048 18,803,454 16.834
May 17, 2050 19,478,039 16.847
May 16, 2052 20,304,362 16.882
May 17, 2054 21,588,878 16.939
May 17, 2056 23,272,244 17.006
May 18, 2058 25,163,506 17.087
May 18, 2060 28,020,589 17.225

Images and Observations

2020 KP1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 24, 2014. It was last officially observed on May 25, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 85 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 KP1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.587 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2915
  • Inclination: 31.37°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 234.29°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 354.46°
  • Mean Anomaly: 240.79°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.082 km
  • Magnitude: 23.1

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 730 days (2.00 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.65 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.05 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.12 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2020 KP1 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 KP1 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.