514596 (2003 FG)

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 514596 (2003 FG)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
  • Will pass within 9,725,679 km of Earth in 2021
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

514596 (2003 FG) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 FG as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2003 FG orbits the sun every 505 days (1.38 years), coming as close as 0.35 AU and reaching as far as 2.13 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 FG is probably between 0.301 to 0.673 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

The rotation of 2003 FG has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 8.68 hours.

Close Approaches

2003 FG's orbit is 0.04 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.

2003 FG has 11 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
April 3, 2021 9,725,679 26.582
March 31, 2039 22,902,886 29.498
April 9, 2068 20,791,650 21.484
April 5, 2086 7,072,039 25.376
March 30, 2104 29,226,569 30.799
April 12, 2115 23,675,715 20.973
April 6, 2133 7,702,038 25.594
March 31, 2151 27,199,624 30.338
April 13, 2162 29,676,947 19.921
April 9, 2180 12,332,238 23.301
April 6, 2198 9,382,672 26.123

Images and Observations

2003 FG's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 26, 2001. It was last officially observed on Jan. 8, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 609 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 2003 FG:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.241 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7149
  • Inclination: 15.66°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 6.99°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 312.92°
  • Mean Anomaly: 241.34°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.389 km
  • Magnitude: 19.73

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 505 days (1.38 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.73 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.13 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.35 AU
  • Rotation Period: 8.68 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 514596 (2003 FG) 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 2003 FG 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.