430544 (2002 GM2)

Small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 430544 (2002 GM2)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 27,496,061 km of Earth in 2028
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

430544 (2002 GM2) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 GM2 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2002 GM2 orbits the sun every 1,190 days (3.26 years), coming as close as 0.43 AU and reaching as far as 3.98 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 GM2 is probably between 0.470 to 1.052 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 GM2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.63 hours.

Close Approaches

2002 GM2's orbit is 0.01 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 GM2 has 9 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 19, 2028 27,496,061 31.647
Aug. 16, 2060 21,143,504 22.044
March 9, 2077 5,954,368 25.229
Aug. 9, 2109 2,455,367 26.656
Aug. 17, 2122 15,294,682 23.111
March 2, 2152 27,220,216 20.736
March 10, 2165 9,508,666 24.578
March 16, 2178 10,178,495 27.931
March 22, 2191 28,211,395 31.678

Images and Observations

2002 GM2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 4, 2002. It was last officially observed on April 25, 2015. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 142 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 2002 GM2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.201 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.8067
  • Inclination: 3.35°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 338.99°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 84.72°
  • Mean Anomaly: 234.93°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.607 km
  • Magnitude: 18.76

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,190 days (3.26 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.12 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.98 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.43 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.63 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 430544 (2002 GM2) 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 GM2 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.