251346 (2007 SJ)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 251346 (2007 SJ)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
  • Will pass within 12,274,280 km of Earth in 2034
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

251346 (2007 SJ) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2007 SJ as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2007 SJ orbits the sun every 1,040 days (2.85 years), coming as close as 0.94 AU and reaching as far as 3.09 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2007 SJ is probably between 1.113 to 2.489 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

The rotation of 2007 SJ has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.72 hours.

Close Approaches

2007 SJ's orbit is 0.04 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.

2007 SJ has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 25, 2034 12,274,280 10.884
Jan. 25, 2117 6,637,428 9.164
Feb. 25, 2137 11,813,524 10.727
March 14, 2157 28,119,487 14.493
Dec. 13, 2179 24,831,514 13.424

Images and Observations

2007 SJ's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 14, 1990. It was last officially observed on Sept. 25, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 993 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 2007 SJ:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.015 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5329
  • Inclination: 8.18°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 306.76°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 175.25°
  • Mean Anomaly: 133.19°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.437 km
  • Magnitude: 16.89

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,040 days (2.85 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.08 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.09 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.94 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.72 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 251346 (2007 SJ) 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 2007 SJ 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.