Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (1.06 km diameter)
- Will pass within 10,541,109 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
154276 (2002 SY50) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2002 SY50 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2002 SY50 orbits the sun every 813 days (2.23 years), coming as close as 0.53 AU and reaching as far as 2.88 AU from the sun. 2002 SY50 is about 1.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The rotation of 2002 SY50 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.82 hours.
Close Approaches
2002 SY50's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2002 SY50 has 11 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 15, 2025 | 10,541,109 | 22.939 |
| Oct. 28, 2051 | 3,777,986 | 22.284 |
| Oct. 30, 2071 | 1,312,429 | 21.414 |
| May 11, 2094 | 10,072,250 | 20.323 |
| May 22, 2114 | 21,856,072 | 25.378 |
| Oct. 21, 2120 | 26,675,079 | 26.799 |
| Nov. 5, 2140 | 16,643,232 | 18.279 |
| May 4, 2143 | 26,827,251 | 16.637 |
| May 18, 2163 | 10,990,045 | 22.732 |
| Nov. 8, 2189 | 21,476,815 | 17.334 |
| May 7, 2192 | 20,160,651 | 18.063 |
Images and Observations
2002 SY50's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 25, 2002. It was last officially observed on June 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 976 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 2002 SY50:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.705 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.6887
- Inclination: 8.75°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 34.04°
- Argument of Periapsis: 99.67°
- Mean Anomaly: 110.9°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 1.06000 km
- Magnitude: 17.64
- Albedo: 0.143
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 813 days (2.23 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.82 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.88 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.53 AU
- Rotation Period: 4.82 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 154276 (2002 SY50) 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 2002 SY50 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.
