8201 (1994 AH2)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 8201 (1994 AH2)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest (1.86 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 26,581,726 km of Earth in 2091
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

8201 (1994 AH2) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1994 AH2 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.

1994 AH2 orbits the sun every 1,480 days (4.05 years), coming as close as 0.75 AU and reaching as far as 4.33 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. 1994 AH2 is about 1.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 1994 AH2 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 23.95 hours.

1994 AH2's spectral type None (Tholen) / O (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

Close Approaches

1994 AH2's orbit is 0.10 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.

1994 AH2 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 15, 2091 26,581,726 22.637
Jan. 13, 2095 27,505,109 23.131

Images and Observations

1994 AH2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 16, 1981. It was last officially observed on July 26, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 853 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 1994 AH2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.539 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7065
  • Inclination: 9.55°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 164.1°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 25.13°
  • Mean Anomaly: 101.98°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.85900 km
  • Magnitude: 15.95
  • Albedo: 0.154
  • Spectral type (SMASS): O

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,480 days (4.05 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.66 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.33 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.75 AU
  • Rotation Period: 23.95 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 8201 (1994 AH2) 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 1994 AH2 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.