2022 RL is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 RL 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 RL orbits the sun every 476 days (1.30 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 1.51 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 RL is probably between 0.003 to 0.014 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2022 RL's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.
2022 RL has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31, 2022 | 140,421 | 8.287 |
| April 7, 2026 | 11,326,209 | 9.219 |
| Sept. 11, 2035 | 22,284,085 | 12.183 |
| Aug. 25, 2065 | 7,046,283 | 6.668 |
| April 2, 2069 | 21,639,202 | 11.659 |
| Sept. 1, 2078 | 1,050,369 | 8.161 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 8 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31, 2082 | 0.00077 | 0.00811 |
| Aug. 31, 2074 | 0.00005 | 0.008131 |
| Aug. 31, 2079 | 0.00003 | 0.008127 |
| Sept. 1, 2114 | 0.00001 | 0.008118 |
| Sept. 1, 2113 | 0.00000 | 0.008101 |
| Sept. 1, 2105 | 0.00000 | 0.008088 |
| Aug. 31, 2071 | 0.00000 | 0.008126 |
| Sept. 1, 2100 | 0.00000 | 0.008122 |
2022 RL's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 31, 2022. It was last officially observed on Sept. 2, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 22 observations used to determine its orbit.
2022 RL can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.68 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 13,627 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2022 RL.
The position of 2022 RL 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.