Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 15,471,543 km of Earth in 2023
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2022 SF95 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 SF95 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2022 SF95 orbits the sun every 1,130 days (3.09 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 3.37 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 SF95 is probably between 0.210 to 0.470 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2022 SF95's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2022 SF95 has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 14, 2023 15,471,543 10.657
March 3, 2054 4,239,164 11.885
Feb. 15, 2088 15,654,777 10.867
Feb. 22, 2122 11,510,659 10.962
Dec. 18, 2155 24,426,271 11.435
March 21, 2159 16,229,596 15.685
March 12, 2193 5,003,218 13.245

Images and Observations

2022 SF95's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 9, 2019. It was last officially observed on June 8, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 225 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 2022 SF95:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.127 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5853
  • Inclination: 9.33°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 164.49°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 317.54°
  • Mean Anomaly: 72.77°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.271 km
  • Magnitude: 20.51

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,130 days (3.09 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.48 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.37 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.88 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2022 SF95 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 SF95 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.