Key Facts
- Categorized as a Outer Main-belt Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay
- Not a Near Earth Object
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
62820 (2000 UF46) is a mid-sized asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 2000 UF46 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
2000 UF46 orbits the sun every 2,860 days (7.83 years), coming as close as 3.08 AU and reaching as far as 4.82 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 UF46 is probably between 3.913 to 8.751 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
No Close Approaches
2000 UF46's orbit is 2.09 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.
Images and Observations
2000 UF46's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 21, 1992. It was last officially observed on June 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 798 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 2000 UF46:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 3.947 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2207
- Inclination: 2.51°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 333.85°
- Argument of Periapsis: 78.68°
- Mean Anomaly: 334.81°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~5.052 km
- Magnitude: 14.16
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 2,860 days (7.83 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 15.01 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 4.82 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 3.08 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 62820 (2000 UF46) 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 2000 UF46 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.
