154656 (2004 FE3)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 154656 (2004 FE3)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 28,634,776 km of Earth in 2099
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

154656 (2004 FE3) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2004 FE3 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.

2004 FE3 orbits the sun every 1,280 days (3.50 years), coming as close as 0.82 AU and reaching as far as 3.80 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2004 FE3 is probably between 1.389 to 3.105 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

Close Approaches

2004 FE3's orbit is 0.15 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.

2004 FE3 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Aug. 24, 2099 28,634,776 18.675
Sept. 5, 2106 24,011,497 18.895
Sept. 10, 2113 23,003,808 19.102
Sept. 18, 2120 23,652,181 19.687

Images and Observations

2004 FE3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 16, 2004. It was last officially observed on Jan. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 465 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 2004 FE3:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.31 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6471
  • Inclination: 22.96°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 339.1°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 338.26°
  • Mean Anomaly: 146.46°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.793 km
  • Magnitude: 16.41

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,280 days (3.50 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.63 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.80 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.82 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 154656 (2004 FE3) 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 2004 FE3 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.