329614 (2003 KU2)

Small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 329614 (2003 KU2)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 26,110,879 km of Earth in 2034
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

329614 (2003 KU2) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 KU2 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2003 KU2 orbits the sun every 1,610 days (4.41 years), coming as close as 0.87 AU and reaching as far as 4.51 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 KU2 is probably between 0.735 to 1.645 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 2003 KU2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.28 hours.

Close Approaches

2003 KU2'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.

2003 KU2 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Sept. 10, 2034 26,110,879 12.325
Aug. 9, 2056 16,666,103 12.083
Nov. 1, 2091 12,085,071 13.497
Sept. 17, 2113 23,999,000 11.809
Sept. 16, 2166 24,087,636 11.819
Sept. 21, 2188 28,754,048 12.851

Images and Observations

2003 KU2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 5, 2003. It was last officially observed on Feb. 8, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 330 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 KU2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.689 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6773
  • Inclination: 5.4°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 105.24°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 246.78°
  • Mean Anomaly: 182.7°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.949 km
  • Magnitude: 17.79

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,610 days (4.41 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.17 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.51 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.87 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.28 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 329614 (2003 KU2) 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 2003 KU2 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.