Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court
- Will pass within 24,317,526 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2022 UK7 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 UK7 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2022 UK7 orbits the sun every 447 days (1.22 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 1.34 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 UK7 is probably between 0.110 to 0.245 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2022 UK7'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 UK7 has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 18, 2022 | 24,317,526 | 24.776 |
| April 19, 2033 | 20,751,981 | 24.526 |
| April 19, 2044 | 17,955,084 | 24.342 |
| April 20, 2055 | 17,987,303 | 24.346 |
| April 19, 2066 | 20,013,281 | 24.485 |
| April 18, 2077 | 23,230,402 | 24.714 |
| April 17, 2088 | 27,579,769 | 25.044 |
| May 2, 2171 | 26,580,967 | 22.922 |
| May 2, 2182 | 23,755,368 | 22.918 |
| May 1, 2193 | 21,691,863 | 22.926 |
Images and Observations
2022 UK7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 19, 2022. It was last officially observed on Nov. 6, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 25 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 UK7:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.143 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1722
- Inclination: 44.33°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 214.12°
- Argument of Periapsis: 53.26°
- Mean Anomaly: 17.67°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.142 km
- Magnitude: 21.92
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 447 days (1.22 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.82 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.34 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.95 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2022 UK7 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 UK7 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.
