2020 QU5 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 QU5 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 QU5 orbits the sun every 224 days (0.61 years), coming as close as 0.30 AU and reaching as far as 1.14 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 QU5 is probably between 0.019 to 0.043 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2020 QU5'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 QU5 has 40 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 19, 2020 | 6,967,296 | 12.941 |
| Oct. 9, 2025 | 2,713,990 | 13.634 |
| Oct. 10, 2033 | 4,097,297 | 14.832 |
| Sept. 1, 2036 | 18,173,044 | 11.667 |
| Oct. 10, 2041 | 6,148,259 | 15.300 |
| Oct. 10, 2049 | 2,988,081 | 14.599 |
| Oct. 10, 2057 | 1,651,055 | 14.086 |
| Aug. 26, 2060 | 14,757,459 | 11.957 |
| Oct. 9, 2065 | 5,326,262 | 13.165 |
| Aug. 22, 2068 | 10,414,830 | 12.463 |
| Oct. 5, 2073 | 11,675,541 | 12.216 |
| Aug. 18, 2076 | 4,317,754 | 13.531 |
| Sept. 30, 2081 | 15,675,786 | 11.842 |
| Aug. 17, 2084 | 2,739,979 | 14.475 |
| Sept. 24, 2089 | 18,976,324 | 11.644 |
| Aug. 17, 2092 | 10,000,840 | 16.251 |
| Oct. 9, 2094 | 26,290,219 | 19.837 |
| Sept. 16, 2097 | 20,828,872 | 11.596 |
| Aug. 19, 2100 | 19,044,413 | 18.286 |
| Oct. 11, 2102 | 17,137,424 | 17.763 |
| Sept. 10, 2105 | 20,575,869 | 11.622 |
| Aug. 21, 2108 | 26,666,025 | 20.018 |
| Oct. 12, 2110 | 10,095,057 | 16.203 |
| Sept. 5, 2113 | 19,313,891 | 11.650 |
| Oct. 12, 2118 | 6,523,208 | 15.419 |
| Sept. 4, 2121 | 18,643,049 | 11.670 |
| Oct. 12, 2126 | 7,505,989 | 15.631 |
| Sept. 6, 2129 | 19,367,111 | 11.644 |
| Aug. 21, 2132 | 27,445,917 | 20.202 |
| Oct. 12, 2134 | 12,543,864 | 16.740 |
| Sept. 11, 2137 | 20,486,332 | 11.618 |
| Aug. 20, 2140 | 20,138,554 | 18.540 |
| Oct. 11, 2142 | 20,584,147 | 18.532 |
| Aug. 19, 2148 | 11,304,021 | 16.542 |
| Aug. 19, 2156 | 3,452,954 | 14.704 |
| Aug. 20, 2164 | 3,712,737 | 13.675 |
| Oct. 8, 2169 | 9,670,736 | 12.439 |
| Aug. 24, 2172 | 10,768,590 | 12.399 |
| Oct. 11, 2177 | 1,534,111 | 13.950 |
| Aug. 20, 2199 | 12,606,821 | 16.804 |
2020 QU5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 20, 2020. It was last officially observed on Aug. 25, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 14 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 2020 QU5 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.