612356 (2002 JX8) is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 JX8 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2002 JX8 orbits the sun every 247 days (0.68 years), coming as close as 0.53 AU and reaching as far as 1.01 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 JX8 is probably between 0.143 to 0.638 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.
2002 JX8'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 JX8 has 26 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
May 27, 2023 | 15,163,477 | 8.527 |
May 9, 2025 | 4,206,652 | 5.138 |
April 15, 2027 | 18,730,346 | 8.564 |
May 26, 2044 | 29,309,030 | 11.730 |
May 22, 2046 | 4,274,797 | 6.057 |
April 17, 2048 | 11,206,563 | 6.651 |
May 28, 2067 | 16,196,568 | 8.799 |
May 6, 2069 | 4,602,583 | 5.151 |
April 15, 2071 | 22,202,236 | 9.438 |
May 26, 2088 | 25,320,523 | 10.805 |
May 21, 2090 | 3,742,664 | 5.900 |
April 19, 2092 | 10,302,820 | 6.356 |
April 15, 2094 | 29,911,356 | 11.248 |
May 28, 2113 | 20,390,970 | 9.716 |
May 17, 2115 | 2,723,827 | 5.417 |
April 17, 2117 | 15,034,162 | 7.623 |
May 26, 2138 | 7,467,809 | 6.798 |
April 25, 2140 | 7,665,715 | 5.704 |
April 17, 2142 | 27,216,870 | 10.613 |
May 28, 2161 | 20,661,294 | 9.743 |
May 19, 2163 | 2,616,547 | 5.544 |
April 20, 2165 | 11,458,476 | 6.707 |
May 29, 2186 | 22,506,941 | 10.148 |
May 20, 2188 | 2,795,914 | 5.707 |
April 22, 2190 | 9,780,524 | 6.289 |
April 17, 2192 | 27,147,117 | 10.599 |
2002 JX8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 4, 2002. It was last officially observed on May 22, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 90 observations used to determine its orbit.
2002 JX8 can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.42 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 870 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2002 JX8.
The position of 612356 (2002 JX8) 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2002 JX8 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.