612342 (2002 FC)

Small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 612342 (2002 FC)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 9,016,176 km of Earth in 2040
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

612342 (2002 FC) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 FC as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2002 FC orbits the sun every 1,740 days (4.76 years), coming as close as 0.96 AU and reaching as far as 4.70 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 FC is probably between 0.391 to 0.875 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

2002 FC's orbit is 0.02 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.

2002 FC has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 13, 2040 9,016,176 11.025
June 20, 2101 14,670,699 11.556
May 17, 2139 4,471,518 10.265
June 26, 2163 12,757,620 10.996

Images and Observations

2002 FC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 16, 2002. It was last officially observed on April 18, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 236 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 2002 FC:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.832 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6609
  • Inclination: 6.8°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 50.28°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 194.9°
  • Mean Anomaly: 166.75°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.505 km
  • Magnitude: 19.16

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,740 days (4.76 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.71 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.70 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.96 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 612342 (2002 FC) 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 2002 FC 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.