Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 6,290,981 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2022 PC is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 PC 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.
2022 PC orbits the sun every 295 days (0.81 years), coming as close as 0.68 AU and reaching as far as 1.06 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 PC is probably between 0.031 to 0.139 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2022 PC's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2022 PC has 19 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 18, 2022 | 6,290,981 | 4.057 |
| July 28, 2026 | 25,767,150 | 10.294 |
| Oct. 15, 2039 | 6,410,657 | 6.032 |
| Aug. 27, 2043 | 7,042,431 | 4.027 |
| July 28, 2047 | 11,162,286 | 7.223 |
| Oct. 14, 2068 | 16,083,580 | 8.090 |
| Oct. 14, 2072 | 8,385,813 | 6.387 |
| Oct. 13, 2076 | 5,874,998 | 5.811 |
| Oct. 14, 2080 | 10,551,236 | 6.883 |
| Oct. 14, 2084 | 18,589,770 | 8.668 |
| Oct. 13, 2088 | 25,566,810 | 10.172 |
| Aug. 2, 2123 | 21,219,955 | 9.265 |
| Aug. 1, 2127 | 9,758,642 | 6.847 |
| Aug. 2, 2131 | 5,222,778 | 5.901 |
| July 31, 2135 | 9,909,654 | 6.890 |
| Aug. 1, 2139 | 21,054,003 | 9.253 |
| Oct. 16, 2168 | 19,990,312 | 8.986 |
| Oct. 16, 2172 | 6,102,591 | 5.962 |
| Oct. 12, 2176 | 2,588,620 | 4.719 |
Images and Observations
2022 PC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 1, 2022. It was last officially observed on Oct. 18, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 305 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2022 PC can be reached with a journey of 450 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.157 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 227,865 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2022 PC.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2022 PC:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8676 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2214
- Inclination: 1.29°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 318.5°
- Argument of Periapsis: 201.38°
- Mean Anomaly: 275.36°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.085 km
- Magnitude: 23.74
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 295 days (0.81 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 32.00 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.06 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.68 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2022 PC 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 2022 PC 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.
