518678 (2008 UZ94)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 518678 (2008 UZ94)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
  • Will pass within 8,869,377 km of Earth in 2021
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

518678 (2008 UZ94) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2008 UZ94 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2008 UZ94 orbits the sun every 1,190 days (3.26 years), coming as close as 0.94 AU and reaching as far as 3.45 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2008 UZ94 is probably between 0.888 to 1.986 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

The rotation of 2008 UZ94 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.36 hours.

Close Approaches

2008 UZ94's orbit is 0.03 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.

2008 UZ94 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 5, 2021 8,869,377 20.317
Nov. 24, 2034 14,834,171 19.391
Dec. 5, 2115 7,575,459 20.208
Nov. 26, 2128 11,692,576 19.450

Images and Observations

2008 UZ94's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 28, 2008. It was last officially observed on May 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 381 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 2008 UZ94:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.192 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5724
  • Inclination: 30.25°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 248.22°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 159.7°
  • Mean Anomaly: 201.46°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.147 km
  • Magnitude: 17.38

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,190 days (3.26 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.04 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.45 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.94 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.36 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 518678 (2008 UZ94) 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 2008 UZ94 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.