121514 (1999 UJ7)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Mars-crossing Asteroid
• Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.45 km diameter)
• Not a Near Earth Object
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

121514 (1999 UJ7) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1999 UJ7 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1999 UJ7 orbits the sun every 687 days (1.88 years), coming as close as 1.46 AU and reaching as far as 1.58 AU from the sun. 1999 UJ7 is about 2.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 1999 UJ7 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 46.46 hours.

No Close Approaches

1999 UJ7's orbit is 0.48 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1999 UJ7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 23, 1955. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,296 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 UJ7:

• 5261 Eureka (1990 MB)
• 36017 (1999 ND43)
• 68359 (2001 OZ13)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 121514 (1999 UJ7) 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 UJ7 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.