244670 (2003 KN18)

Small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 244670 (2003 KN18)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 14,002,831 km of Earth in 2026
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

244670 (2003 KN18) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 KN18 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.

2003 KN18 orbits the sun every 845 days (2.31 years), coming as close as 0.90 AU and reaching as far as 2.60 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 KN18 is probably between 0.606 to 1.355 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 2003 KN18 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 20.89 hours.

Close Approaches

2003 KN18's orbit is 0.09 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.

2003 KN18 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 5, 2026 14,002,831 10.839
March 11, 2063 13,848,264 10.861
April 27, 2093 29,916,718 14.549
Feb. 24, 2100 14,886,583 10.940
Feb. 27, 2137 14,210,232 10.855
Feb. 25, 2174 14,562,241 10.927

Images and Observations

2003 KN18's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 3, 1989. It was last officially observed on Sept. 27, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 564 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 2003 KN18:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.749 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4855
  • Inclination: 11.9°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 168.66°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 354.79°
  • Mean Anomaly: 335.1°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.782 km
  • Magnitude: 18.21

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 845 days (2.31 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.52 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.60 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.90 AU
  • Rotation Period: 20.89 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 244670 (2003 KN18) 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 2003 KN18 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.