(875163) 1998 SH2
Active asteroid or comet
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(875163) 1998 SH2 is an Apollo-type near-Earth asteroid with an estimated diameter of about 383 m (1,257 ft).[5] It was discovered by the Spacewatch survey of the Kitt Peak National Observatory from Arizona, USA on 17 September 1998.[1]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Spacewatch |
| Discovery site | Kitt Peak Observatory |
| Discovery date | 17 September 1998 |
| Designations | |
| 1998 SH2 · 2016 EC156[2] | |
| NEO · Apollo · PHA | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 9 June 2026 (JD 2461200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0[4] | |
| Observation arc | 27.10 years |
| Aphelion | 4.701 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.785 AU |
| 2.743 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.71379 |
| 4.543 years | |
| 70.005° | |
| 0° 13m 1.115s / day | |
| Inclination | 2.426° |
| 6.074° | |
| 268.72° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.019 AU |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.499 AU |
| Physical characteristics[3][5] | |
| 0.383 ± 0.057 km (0.238 ± 0.035 mi) | |
| 0.058±0.024 | |
| 20.88 | |
Physical characteristics
Infrared observations from the NEOWISE spacecraft revealed that asteroid 1998 SH2 may have a diameter of about 383 m (1,257 ft) assuming a geometric albedo of about 0.058.[5] Astrometric measurements up to 2025 revealed orbital perturbations consistent with weak outgassing,[6] indicating that this object might be also a comet.[7]
Orbit
As of June 2026[update], 1998 SH2 currently has a perihelion of about 0.785 AU (117.4 million km) and aphelion of about 4.701 AU (703.3 million km) from the Sun, completing one revolution once every 4.54 years.[4]
It made a close encounter with Earth at a distance of 0.0208 AU (3.11 million km) on 30 August 2025.[8] By 2037, it will approach Jupiter at a distance of 0.98 AU (147 million km), followed by another Earth flyby at 0.0695 AU (10.40 million km) away on 8 September 2052.[8] It is considered a potentially hazardous asteroid, however there is no significant impact risk with Earth in the foreseeable future.[9]