Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 8,183,666 km of Earth in 2024
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

458122 (2010 EW45) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2010 EW45 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2010 EW45 orbits the sun every 1,090 days (2.98 years), coming as close as 0.68 AU and reaching as far as 3.45 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2010 EW45 is probably between 0.803 to 1.795 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2010 EW45's orbit is 0.02 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.

2010 EW45 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 19, 2024 8,183,666 19.944
Dec. 6, 2027 17,890,756 14.956
July 31, 2045 26,935,507 13.526
July 18, 2048 12,117,721 16.019
July 10, 2051 7,564,597 19.342
July 4, 2054 21,616,513 22.203

Images and Observations

2010 EW45's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 21, 1999. It was last officially observed on Feb. 27, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 451 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 2010 EW45:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.067 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6691
  • Inclination: 2.12°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 232.92°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 135.57°
  • Mean Anomaly: 220.96°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.036 km
  • Magnitude: 17.6

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,090 days (2.98 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.63 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.45 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.68 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 458122 (2010 EW45) 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 2010 EW45 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.