267494 (2002 JB9)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 267494 (2002 JB9)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 23,641,145 km of Earth in 2020
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

267494 (2002 JB9) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 JB9 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2002 JB9 orbits the sun every 1,640 days (4.49 years), coming as close as 0.59 AU and reaching as far as 4.85 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 JB9 is probably between 1.544 to 3.452 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2002 JB9 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.43 hours.

Close Approaches

2002 JB9'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.

2002 JB9 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 30, 2020 23,641,145 35.243
Dec. 11, 2060 28,977,105 37.941
Nov. 28, 2069 15,684,064 31.686
June 3, 2114 17,870,141 33.216
Nov. 28, 2163 16,122,872 31.601
June 10, 2199 29,511,769 29.181

Images and Observations

2002 JB9's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 21, 2002. It was last officially observed on Jan. 6, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 563 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 2002 JB9:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.719 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7845
  • Inclination: 46.75°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 70.22°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 278.0°
  • Mean Anomaly: 253.46°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.993 km
  • Magnitude: 16.18

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,640 days (4.49 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.04 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.85 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.59 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.43 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 267494 (2002 JB9) 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 2002 JB9 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.