Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 26,553,021 km of Earth in 2099
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
YORP is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified YORP 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.
YORP orbits the sun every 368 days (1.01 years), coming as close as 0.77 AU and reaching as far as 1.24 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, YORP is probably between 0.078 to 0.175 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of YORP has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.20 hours.
Close Approaches
YORP's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.
YORP has 24 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Dec. 25, 2099 | 26,553,021 | 12.398 |
| Dec. 28, 2100 | 18,798,772 | 10.833 |
| Dec. 30, 2101 | 11,529,466 | 9.336 |
| Jan. 1, 2103 | 5,024,804 | 8.046 |
| Jan. 2, 2104 | 789,976 | 7.230 |
| Dec. 30, 2104 | 10,671,329 | 9.172 |
| Dec. 27, 2105 | 21,660,571 | 11.425 |
| Aug. 9, 2169 | 21,906,118 | 11.304 |
| Aug. 6, 2170 | 11,543,188 | 9.226 |
| Aug. 4, 2171 | 2,804,045 | 7.344 |
| Aug. 2, 2172 | 6,072,043 | 5.926 |
| Aug. 5, 2173 | 14,086,815 | 4.415 |
| Aug. 24, 2174 | 21,573,772 | 4.512 |
| June 11, 2175 | 28,213,913 | 5.708 |
| Sept. 9, 2175 | 26,801,835 | 5.198 |
| Nov. 28, 2182 | 26,191,443 | 5.308 |
| Feb. 24, 2183 | 27,921,503 | 5.795 |
| Dec. 15, 2183 | 20,324,033 | 4.589 |
| Jan. 30, 2184 | 21,890,920 | 3.859 |
| Jan. 1, 2185 | 11,732,446 | 4.748 |
| Jan. 2, 2186 | 3,102,252 | 6.400 |
| Jan. 2, 2187 | 2,609,856 | 7.557 |
| Dec. 31, 2187 | 12,610,539 | 9.566 |
| Dec. 27, 2188 | 23,396,897 | 11.758 |
Images and Observations
YORP's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 3, 2000. It was last officially observed on Aug. 3, 2005. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 550 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 YORP:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.006 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2301
- Inclination: 1.6°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 278.2°
- Argument of Periapsis: 278.98°
- Mean Anomaly: 68.6°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.101 km
- Magnitude: 22.66
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 368 days (1.01 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.74 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.24 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.77 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.20 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of YORP 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 YORP 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.
