Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 11,042,897 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
478784 (2012 UV136) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2012 UV136 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.
2012 UV136 orbits the sun every 370 days (1.01 years), coming as close as 0.87 AU and reaching as far as 1.15 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2012 UV136 is probably between 0.013 to 0.059 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2012 UV136'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.
2012 UV136 has 35 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 23, 2019 | 11,042,897 | 2.555 |
| May 15, 2020 | 3,251,092 | 3.565 |
| May 18, 2021 | 6,050,736 | 4.970 |
| May 22, 2022 | 15,967,664 | 6.937 |
| May 26, 2023 | 27,126,180 | 9.155 |
| Nov. 4, 2090 | 19,959,254 | 7.834 |
| Nov. 7, 2091 | 9,085,096 | 5.676 |
| Nov. 8, 2092 | 1,784,428 | 3.938 |
| Nov. 6, 2093 | 7,782,595 | 2.540 |
| Oct. 5, 2094 | 14,763,787 | 2.917 |
| Dec. 27, 2094 | 15,017,115 | 3.055 |
| Sept. 12, 2095 | 18,718,772 | 3.419 |
| Jan. 22, 2096 | 17,901,417 | 3.816 |
| Aug. 22, 2096 | 20,565,820 | 3.654 |
| Feb. 13, 2097 | 18,579,858 | 4.031 |
| Aug. 4, 2097 | 20,643,017 | 3.611 |
| March 8, 2098 | 17,388,666 | 3.783 |
| July 15, 2098 | 18,964,332 | 3.282 |
| April 4, 2099 | 14,035,553 | 3.062 |
| June 19, 2099 | 15,013,594 | 2.627 |
| May 12, 2100 | 7,326,654 | 2.638 |
| May 16, 2101 | 2,631,989 | 4.015 |
| May 20, 2102 | 10,896,857 | 5.971 |
| May 24, 2103 | 22,357,213 | 8.226 |
| Nov. 5, 2167 | 18,483,056 | 7.578 |
| Nov. 7, 2168 | 6,994,577 | 5.243 |
| Nov. 9, 2169 | 2,861,565 | 3.538 |
| Oct. 12, 2170 | 13,567,197 | 2.723 |
| Dec. 19, 2170 | 13,758,202 | 2.804 |
| Sept. 10, 2171 | 19,212,245 | 3.476 |
| Jan. 25, 2172 | 17,828,610 | 3.874 |
| Aug. 15, 2172 | 21,151,936 | 3.718 |
| May 12, 2175 | 4,995,625 | 3.083 |
| May 16, 2176 | 6,414,453 | 5.077 |
| May 21, 2177 | 19,113,790 | 7.599 |
Images and Observations
2012 UV136's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 22, 2012. It was last officially observed on June 3, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 148 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2012 UV136 can be reached with a journey of 394 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 4.67 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 548,503 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2012 UV136.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2012 UV136:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.008 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1396
- Inclination: 2.1°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 207.83°
- Argument of Periapsis: 290.25°
- Mean Anomaly: 186.91°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.036 km
- Magnitude: 25.6
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 370 days (1.01 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.64 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.15 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.87 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 478784 (2012 UV136) 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2012 UV136 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
