380981 (2006 SU131)

Small Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 380981 (2006 SU131)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 17,282,781 km of Earth in 2049
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

380981 (2006 SU131) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2006 SU131 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2006 SU131 orbits the sun every 829 days (2.27 years), coming as close as 1.04 AU and reaching as far as 2.41 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2006 SU131 is probably between 0.468 to 1.047 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 2006 SU131 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.92 hours.

Close Approaches

2006 SU131'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.

2006 SU131 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
July 23, 2049 17,282,781 9.447
July 16, 2074 10,104,386 8.296
June 6, 2115 25,215,176 9.591
June 27, 2140 9,062,102 7.457
June 12, 2165 20,256,570 8.738
July 28, 2199 20,459,990 9.873

Images and Observations

2006 SU131's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 28, 2006. It was last officially observed on Dec. 1, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 296 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 2006 SU131:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.727 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3953
  • Inclination: 9.66°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 107.38°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 167.73°
  • Mean Anomaly: 227.29°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.605 km
  • Magnitude: 18.77

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 829 days (2.27 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.66 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.41 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.04 AU
  • Rotation Period: 4.92 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 380981 (2006 SU131) 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 2006 SU131 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.