Key Facts

Overview

2018 EV2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2018 EV2 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.

2018 EV2 orbits the sun every 531 days (1.45 years), coming as close as 0.74 AU and reaching as far as 1.82 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 EV2 is probably between 0.031 to 0.068 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

No Close Approaches

2018 EV2's orbit is 0.03 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

2018 EV2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 7, 2018. It was last officially observed on March 12, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 9 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 2018 EV2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2458186.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.284 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.42
  • Inclination: 4.9°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 11.0°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 61.31°
  • Mean Anomaly: 47.71°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.039 km
  • Magnitude: 24.7

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 531 days (1.45 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.31 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.82 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.74 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2018 EV2 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 2018 EV2 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.