Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 6,462,849 km of Earth in 2022
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2022 YA is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 YA 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 YA orbits the sun every 1,200 days (3.29 years), coming as close as 0.63 AU and reaching as far as 3.79 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 YA is probably between 0.098 to 0.220 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2022 YA's orbit is 0.02 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.

2022 YA has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 4, 2022 6,462,849 19.873

Images and Observations

2022 YA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 15, 2022. It was last officially observed on Dec. 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 48 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 2022 YA:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2459931.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.206 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7162
  • Inclination: 6.84°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 64.58°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 287.4°
  • Mean Anomaly: 17.3°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.127 km
  • Magnitude: 22.16

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,200 days (3.29 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.00 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.79 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.63 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2022 YA 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 YA 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.