302871 (2003 HA22)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 23,924,370 km of Earth in 2021
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

302871 (2003 HA22) is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2003 HA22 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 HA22 orbits the sun every 939 days (2.57 years), coming as close as 1.14 AU and reaching as far as 2.62 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 HA22 is probably between 0.346 to 0.773 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2003 HA22's orbit is 0.12 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 HA22 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2003 HA22's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 1, 2003. It was last officially observed on Oct. 31, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 547 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 HA22:

• 1656 Suomi (1942 EC)
• 2035 Stearns (1973 SC)
• 2047 Smetana (1971 UA1)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 302871 (2003 HA22) 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2003 HA22 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.