2022 UN20 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 UN20 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 UN20 orbits the sun every 336 days (0.92 years), coming as close as 0.78 AU and reaching as far as 1.11 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 UN20 is probably between 0.006 to 0.024 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2022 UN20's orbit is 0.03 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
2022 UN20 has 19 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 22, 2022 | 4,113,946 | 8.021 |
| March 13, 2024 | 23,491,796 | 9.325 |
| Oct. 21, 2033 | 16,264,590 | 10.536 |
| April 1, 2035 | 22,209,471 | 8.339 |
| April 25, 2046 | 28,712,221 | 8.643 |
| Oct. 29, 2056 | 16,459,729 | 6.865 |
| Oct. 22, 2067 | 4,240,755 | 8.410 |
| March 18, 2069 | 22,065,371 | 8.927 |
| Oct. 21, 2090 | 6,440,253 | 8.917 |
| Oct. 22, 2113 | 6,042,492 | 8.848 |
| March 24, 2115 | 21,093,095 | 8.645 |
| Oct. 22, 2136 | 14,954,903 | 10.328 |
| Oct. 27, 2148 | 12,908,706 | 7.015 |
| March 8, 2150 | 27,978,253 | 10.627 |
| Oct. 24, 2159 | 26,018,165 | 12.271 |
| April 16, 2161 | 25,344,676 | 8.402 |
| Oct. 24, 2171 | 4,646,048 | 7.845 |
| March 15, 2173 | 23,238,696 | 9.407 |
| Oct. 22, 2194 | 12,284,437 | 9.924 |
2022 UN20's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 25, 2022. It was last officially observed on Oct. 30, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 18 observations used to determine its orbit.
2022 UN20 can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.323 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 2,573 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2022 UN20.
The position of 2022 UN20 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.