Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 530,382 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2022 PW is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 PW 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.
2022 PW orbits the sun every 424 days (1.16 years), coming as close as 0.82 AU and reaching as far as 1.39 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 PW is probably between 0.015 to 0.066 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2022 PW'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.
2022 PW has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 16, 2022 | 530,382 | 7.473 |
| Feb. 5, 2031 | 18,856,788 | 11.054 |
| Oct. 27, 2044 | 25,423,447 | 6.664 |
| Aug. 18, 2051 | 3,964,473 | 6.499 |
| Aug. 9, 2058 | 15,847,967 | 10.374 |
| Feb. 4, 2067 | 18,428,992 | 10.954 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 1 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 9, 2120 | 0.00000 | 0.7111 |
Images and Observations
2022 PW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 5, 2022. It was last officially observed on Aug. 16, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 86 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2022 PW can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.145 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 94,678 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2022 PW.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2022 PW:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.104 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2566
- Inclination: 1.91°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 320.38°
- Argument of Periapsis: 88.63°
- Mean Anomaly: 276.42°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.041 km
- Magnitude: 25.37
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 424 days (1.16 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.33 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.39 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.82 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2022 PW 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 2022 PW 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.
