39565 (1992 SL)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 13,932,584 km of Earth in 2053
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

39565 (1992 SL) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1992 SL 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.

1992 SL orbits the sun every 769 days (2.11 years), coming as close as 1.09 AU and reaching as far as 2.19 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1992 SL is probably between 0.540 to 1.208 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.

Close Approaches

1992 SL's orbit is 0.09 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.

1992 SL has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1992 SL's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 9, 1950. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 393 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 1992 SL:

• 3553 Mera (1985 JA)
• 4257 Ubasti (1987 QA)
• 5011 Ptah (6743 P-L)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 39565 (1992 SL) 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 1992 SL 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.