102074 (1999 RN143)

Mid-sized Mars-crossing Asteroid

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Key Facts

Overview

102074 (1999 RN143) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1999 RN143 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1999 RN143 orbits the sun every 1,360 days (3.72 years), coming as close as 1.65 AU and reaching as far as 3.16 AU from the sun. 1999 RN143 is about 3.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

1999 RN143's orbit is 0.66 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

1999 RN143's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 11, 1997. It was last officially observed on April 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,088 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 1999 RN143:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.404 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.313
  • Inclination: 8.62°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 175.63°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 207.58°
  • Mean Anomaly: 144.01°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.02400 km
  • Magnitude: 15.88
  • Albedo: 0.033

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,360 days (3.72 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.23 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.16 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.65 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 102074 (1999 RN143) 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 1999 RN143 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.