Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller (0.03 km diameter)
- Will pass within 4,589,696 km of Earth in 2024
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
1998 KY26 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 KY26 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.
1998 KY26 orbits the sun every 500 days (1.37 years), coming as close as 0.98 AU and reaching as far as 1.48 AU from the sun. 1998 KY26 is about 0.0 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 1998 KY26 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.18 hours.
Close Approaches
1998 KY26'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.
1998 KY26 has 9 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 1, 2024 | 4,589,696 | 5.260 |
| May 24, 2039 | 16,175,140 | 7.592 |
| Sept. 5, 2058 | 13,050,864 | 6.818 |
| Aug. 30, 2073 | 7,239,363 | 5.534 |
| June 4, 2099 | 4,130,784 | 5.180 |
| Aug. 26, 2118 | 3,989,871 | 4.599 |
| Aug. 29, 2133 | 4,844,079 | 4.902 |
| May 24, 2144 | 20,455,997 | 8.491 |
| Aug. 17, 2159 | 3,975,345 | 3.964 |
Images and Observations
1998 KY26's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 31, 1998. It was last officially observed on Dec. 15, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 75 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
1998 KY26 can be reached with a journey of 442 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.845 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 99,452 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 1998 KY26.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1998 KY26:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.233 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2018
- Inclination: 1.48°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 84.37°
- Argument of Periapsis: 209.37°
- Mean Anomaly: 143.51°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.03000 km
- Magnitude: 25.6
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 500 days (1.37 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.83 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.48 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.98 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.18 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 1998 KY26 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1998 KY26 to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
