308242 (2005 GO21)

Mid-sized Aten-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Aten-class Asteroids » 308242 (2005 GO21)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 29,352,527 km of Earth in 2027
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

308242 (2005 GO21) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2005 GO21 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2005 GO21 orbits the sun every 239 days (0.65 years), coming as close as 0.50 AU and reaching as far as 1.01 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2005 GO21 is probably between 1.467 to 3.281 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 2005 GO21 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 11.00 hours.

Close Approaches

2005 GO21'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.

2005 GO21 has 20 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
June 20, 2027 29,352,527 12.761
June 21, 2029 6,962,973 13.456
June 20, 2044 25,211,837 12.599
June 21, 2046 9,517,472 13.910
June 21, 2061 18,405,552 12.508
June 21, 2063 16,071,699 14.824
June 22, 2078 11,633,073 12.667
June 19, 2080 23,425,951 15.884
June 22, 2095 7,630,336 12.972
June 19, 2097 28,663,639 16.685
June 23, 2112 6,643,812 13.166
June 23, 2129 6,482,837 13.270
June 20, 2144 29,408,095 12.810
June 23, 2146 6,787,048 13.428
June 21, 2161 25,827,477 12.662
June 23, 2163 8,981,472 13.830
June 23, 2178 19,246,235 12.529
June 22, 2180 15,141,605 14.677
June 24, 2195 12,227,613 12.652
June 21, 2197 22,653,100 15.737

Images and Observations

2005 GO21's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 1, 2005. It was last officially observed on Aug. 7, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 294 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 2005 GO21:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.7532 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.34
  • Inclination: 24.93°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 272.68°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 156.63°
  • Mean Anomaly: 281.21°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.894 km
  • Magnitude: 16.29

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 239 days (0.65 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 34.28 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.01 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.50 AU
  • Rotation Period: 11.00 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 308242 (2005 GO21) 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 2005 GO21 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.