Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
- Will pass within 25,328,364 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
329437 (2002 OA22) is a small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 OA22 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2002 OA22 orbits the sun every 331 days (0.91 years), coming as close as 0.71 AU and reaching as far as 1.16 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 OA22 is probably between 0.228 to 1.021 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 2002 OA22 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.62 hours.
Close Approaches
2002 OA22'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.
2002 OA22 has 33 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 11, 2022 | 25,328,364 | 5.928 |
| June 2, 2031 | 18,079,477 | 7.303 |
| Oct. 2, 2032 | 5,342,652 | 7.162 |
| Aug. 9, 2041 | 25,612,067 | 5.935 |
| June 3, 2050 | 18,819,223 | 7.922 |
| Oct. 1, 2051 | 6,561,173 | 6.609 |
| April 17, 2060 | 29,220,537 | 6.208 |
| July 17, 2060 | 25,770,343 | 5.533 |
| Sept. 30, 2061 | 28,026,549 | 12.392 |
| Sept. 9, 2070 | 18,840,571 | 5.780 |
| May 30, 2079 | 19,367,477 | 5.249 |
| Oct. 3, 2080 | 10,570,926 | 8.793 |
| Aug. 19, 2089 | 24,302,572 | 5.971 |
| June 2, 2098 | 18,017,623 | 7.253 |
| Oct. 2, 2099 | 5,698,219 | 7.025 |
| July 29, 2108 | 26,000,604 | 5.791 |
| June 6, 2117 | 22,611,639 | 9.477 |
| Sept. 25, 2118 | 12,124,258 | 5.825 |
| May 7, 2127 | 25,182,832 | 4.925 |
| July 2, 2127 | 23,956,098 | 5.021 |
| Oct. 3, 2128 | 20,051,312 | 10.740 |
| Aug. 29, 2137 | 22,341,466 | 5.917 |
| June 2, 2146 | 18,009,268 | 6.198 |
| Oct. 4, 2147 | 7,115,461 | 7.875 |
| Aug. 17, 2156 | 24,424,181 | 5.990 |
| June 2, 2165 | 18,548,608 | 5.690 |
| Oct. 4, 2166 | 9,867,838 | 8.568 |
| Sept. 7, 2175 | 19,591,512 | 5.823 |
| April 23, 2184 | 28,404,635 | 5.864 |
| July 15, 2184 | 25,185,185 | 5.475 |
| Oct. 1, 2185 | 27,516,164 | 12.245 |
| June 7, 2193 | 21,939,281 | 9.217 |
| Sept. 28, 2194 | 10,287,030 | 6.001 |
Images and Observations
2002 OA22's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 30, 2002. It was last officially observed on July 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 908 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2002 OA22 can be reached with a journey of 402 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.976 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 36,005 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2002 OA22.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2002 OA22:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9355 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2431
- Inclination: 6.89°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 174.05°
- Argument of Periapsis: 318.63°
- Mean Anomaly: 259.98°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.625 km
- Magnitude: 19.41
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 331 days (0.91 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.75 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.16 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.71 AU
- Rotation Period: 2.62 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 329437 (2002 OA22) 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 OA22 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.
