482467 (2012 LK9)

Small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 482467 (2012 LK9)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 17,089,814 km of Earth in 2044
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

482467 (2012 LK9) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2012 LK9 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2012 LK9 orbits the sun every 1,450 days (3.97 years), coming as close as 0.96 AU and reaching as far as 4.07 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2012 LK9 is probably between 0.690 to 1.542 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

2012 LK9's orbit is 0.05 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 LK9 has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Nov. 21, 2044 17,089,814 14.667
Nov. 18, 2048 13,134,482 13.837
Nov. 14, 2052 7,996,008 12.581
Nov. 12, 2056 7,621,328 12.223
Nov. 18, 2060 12,675,092 13.714
Nov. 21, 2064 17,221,742 14.826
Nov. 25, 2068 25,246,555 16.376
Nov. 29, 2136 18,697,228 16.603
Nov. 10, 2140 9,056,797 11.924
Oct. 2, 2144 24,313,416 10.979
Aug. 20, 2148 29,762,674 14.189
Dec. 4, 2199 14,120,404 17.226

Images and Observations

2012 LK9's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 12, 2012. It was last officially observed on Jan. 12, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 122 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 2012 LK9:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.512 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6198
  • Inclination: 10.14°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 61.84°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 314.57°
  • Mean Anomaly: 251.17°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.890 km
  • Magnitude: 17.93

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,450 days (3.97 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.85 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.07 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.96 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 482467 (2012 LK9) 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 2012 LK9 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.