Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 10,390,716 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
474163 (1999 SO5) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1999 SO5 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
1999 SO5 orbits the sun every 413 days (1.13 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 1.16 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 SO5 is probably between 0.110 to 0.493 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of 1999 SO5 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 1.38 hours.
Close Approaches
1999 SO5's orbit is 0.01 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.
1999 SO5 has 19 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 3, 2025 | 10,390,716 | 7.474 |
| April 15, 2034 | 29,835,799 | 8.847 |
| Oct. 7, 2042 | 23,345,677 | 7.240 |
| April 4, 2051 | 8,753,059 | 7.380 |
| April 12, 2060 | 21,923,474 | 8.007 |
| Oct. 18, 2068 | 25,128,576 | 7.228 |
| Sept. 23, 2077 | 25,467,542 | 7.242 |
| April 6, 2086 | 2,513,219 | 7.077 |
| Oct. 21, 2094 | 26,440,394 | 7.223 |
| April 3, 2103 | 15,681,307 | 7.910 |
| Oct. 2, 2120 | 23,777,530 | 7.235 |
| April 8, 2129 | 6,870,715 | 7.095 |
| Oct. 11, 2137 | 24,136,760 | 7.256 |
| April 9, 2146 | 7,343,052 | 7.104 |
| Oct. 2, 2154 | 24,369,431 | 7.255 |
| April 3, 2171 | 17,279,231 | 8.066 |
| Oct. 23, 2179 | 27,154,657 | 7.232 |
| April 7, 2188 | 2,494,909 | 7.078 |
| Sept. 25, 2196 | 25,744,649 | 7.249 |
Images and Observations
1999 SO5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 29, 1999. It was last officially observed on Jan. 30, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 265 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
1999 SO5 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.254 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 3,185 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 1999 SO5.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1999 SO5:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.086 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.0652
- Inclination: 13.37°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 196.07°
- Argument of Periapsis: 359.72°
- Mean Anomaly: 226.37°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.302 km
- Magnitude: 20.99
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 413 days (1.13 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.61 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.16 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.02 AU
- Rotation Period: 1.38 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 474163 (1999 SO5) 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 1999 SO5 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.
