206910 (2004 NL8)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 206910 (2004 NL8)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
  • Will pass within 29,025,903 km of Earth in 2062
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

206910 (2004 NL8) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2004 NL8 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2004 NL8 orbits the sun every 1,510 days (4.13 years), coming as close as 0.73 AU and reaching as far as 4.42 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2004 NL8 is probably between 0.930 to 2.080 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

Close Approaches

2004 NL8's orbit is 0.02 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.

2004 NL8 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 31, 2062 29,025,903 13.360
Jan. 29, 2121 10,119,876 15.321
Jan. 25, 2146 12,996,896 14.530

Images and Observations

2004 NL8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 24, 2001. It was last officially observed on May 17, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 513 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 2004 NL8:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.575 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7154
  • Inclination: 5.02°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 150.93°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 278.08°
  • Mean Anomaly: 206.72°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.201 km
  • Magnitude: 17.28

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,510 days (4.13 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.55 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.42 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.73 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 206910 (2004 NL8) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2004 NL8 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.