Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 8,310,314 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2022 SW3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 SW3 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 SW3 orbits the sun every 244 days (0.67 years), coming as close as 0.50 AU and reaching as far as 1.03 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 SW3 is probably between 0.028 to 0.062 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2022 SW3 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.19 hours.
Close Approaches
2022 SW3'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 SW3 has 16 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 29, 2020 | 8,310,314 | 8.382 |
| Sept. 23, 2022 | 2,777,200 | 8.708 |
| Sept. 19, 2024 | 2,614,459 | 9.203 |
| Sept. 16, 2026 | 10,223,767 | 10.424 |
| Sept. 14, 2028 | 19,504,724 | 12.156 |
| Sept. 15, 2030 | 29,643,144 | 14.212 |
| Oct. 24, 2067 | 29,423,676 | 11.474 |
| Oct. 20, 2069 | 22,357,712 | 9.786 |
| Oct. 13, 2071 | 16,522,559 | 8.777 |
| Oct. 3, 2073 | 11,140,311 | 8.404 |
| Sept. 26, 2075 | 5,668,294 | 8.474 |
| Sept. 20, 2077 | 1,227,459 | 8.976 |
| Sept. 17, 2079 | 6,545,851 | 9.799 |
| Sept. 15, 2081 | 14,981,164 | 11.281 |
| Sept. 15, 2083 | 24,492,570 | 13.166 |
| Sept. 16, 2132 | 11,956,517 | 10.758 |
Images and Observations
2022 SW3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 20, 2022. It was last officially observed on Sept. 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 103 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 SW3:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.765 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3455
- Inclination: 12.87°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 359.07°
- Argument of Periapsis: 193.48°
- Mean Anomaly: 319.63°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.036 km
- Magnitude: 24.91
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 244 days (0.67 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 34.11 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.03 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.50 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.19 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2022 SW3 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 SW3 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.
