2020 SM4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 SM4 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.
2020 SM4 orbits the sun every 383 days (1.05 years), coming as close as 0.76 AU and reaching as far as 1.30 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 SM4 is probably between 0.005 to 0.022 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2020 SM4'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.
2020 SM4 has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 1, 2020 | 3,127,407 | 7.618 |
| Feb. 24, 2023 | 27,719,294 | 6.613 |
| April 18, 2024 | 16,196,910 | 10.713 |
| Sept. 28, 2061 | 10,188,587 | 9.796 |
| April 13, 2065 | 6,766,918 | 8.152 |
2020 SM4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 22, 2020. It was last officially observed on Sept. 24, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 12 observations used to determine its orbit.
2020 SM4 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.907 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 35,128 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 SM4.
The position of 2020 SM4 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.