Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon (1.40 km diameter)
- Will pass within 20,172,268 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Lugh is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Lugh as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Lugh orbits the sun every 1,470 days (4.02 years), coming as close as 0.73 AU and reaching as far as 4.33 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Lugh is about 1.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.
The rotation of Lugh has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 8.55 hours.
Close Approaches
Lugh'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.
Lugh has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 20, 2022 | 20,172,268 | 21.155 |
| Nov. 28, 2026 | 10,586,729 | 17.709 |
| Dec. 9, 2030 | 18,793,263 | 14.660 |
| Dec. 1, 2079 | 24,229,855 | 19.346 |
| April 7, 2084 | 10,442,464 | 16.999 |
| Nov. 28, 2108 | 29,907,511 | 20.830 |
| April 4, 2113 | 7,313,331 | 15.714 |
| Dec. 2, 2157 | 22,511,980 | 19.194 |
| April 18, 2166 | 24,762,721 | 19.958 |
| Feb. 5, 2195 | 26,228,940 | 13.340 |
Images and Observations
Lugh's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 24, 1960. It was last officially observed on Dec. 4, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 496 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 Lugh:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.528 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.7112
- Inclination: 4.44°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 177.78°
- Argument of Periapsis: 316.14°
- Mean Anomaly: 62.39°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 1.40000 km
- Magnitude: 16.67
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,470 days (4.02 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.71 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 4.33 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.73 AU
- Rotation Period: 8.55 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Lugh 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 Lugh 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.
