2005 ED224

2005 ED₂₂₄ is an asteroid with an estimated diameter of 54 meters. It had the soonest virtual impactor of an asteroid larger than 50 meters in diameter with a better than 1:1,000,000 chance of impacting Earth. On 11 March 2023, the line of variations (LOV) showed a 1-in-500,000 chance of impact.^[2] It has a short observation arc of 3 days. On 11 March 2023, it was nominally expected to be 2.7 AU (400 million km) from Earth but had an uncertainty region billions of kilometers long.^[5] Since it has not been observed since 2005 and has an orbital period of 2.6±0.3 years,^[3] it is unknown where on its orbit 2005 ED₂₂₄ is. Between 2005 and 2023, it could have orbited the Sun 6.2 to 7.8 times. On 11 March 2030, it has a 1-in-6,300,000 chance of impact but is expected to be 3.5 AU (520 million km) from Earth (near the asteroid's farthest distance from the Sun).^[6] On 10 March 2064, it has a 1-in-2,600,000 chance of impact but is expected to be 3.2 AU (480 million km) from Earth.

2005 ED₂₂₄

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	LINEAR (704) 1.0-m Reflector
Discovery site	Lincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date	13 March 2005
Designations
MPC designation	2005 ED224
Minor planet category	NEO Apollo risk listed[2]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 16 March 2005 (JD 2453445.5)
Uncertainty parameter 9
Observation arc	3.1 days[2]
Aphelion	3.17±0.26 AU (Q)
Perihelion	0.649±0.003 AU (q)
Semi-major axis	1.91±0.16 AU (a)
Eccentricity	0.66±0.03 (e)
Orbital period (sidereal)	2.6±0.3 years
Mean anomaly	20°±3° (M)
Inclination	31.9°±1.1° (i)
Longitude of ascending node	170.53°±0.06° (Ω)
Argument of perihelion	277.3°±0.9° (ω)
Earth MOID	0.0013 AU (190,000 km) ?
Jupiter MOID	2.9 AU (430,000,000 km) ?
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	~54 m (180 ft)?[2] 40–90 meters
Absolute magnitude (H)	23.99 (JPL)[3] 24.3 (MPC)[4]

It was first observed on 13 March 2005 when the asteroid was estimated to be 0.056 ± 0.006 AU (8.38 ± 0.90 million km) from Earth and had a solar elongation of 137 degrees.

Virtual impactors (past and future)^[2]

Date	Impact probability (1 in)	JPL Horizons nominal geocentric distance (AU)	NEODyS nominal geocentric distance (AU)	MPC[7] nominal geocentric distance (AU)	Find_Orb nominal geocentric distance (AU)	uncertainty[8] region (3-sigma)
2018-03-11	2.4 million	1.7 AU (250 million km)	1.7 AU (250 million km)	1.4 AU (210 million km)	1.2 AU (180 million km)	± 5 billion km
2023-03-11	500 thousand	2.7 AU (400 million km)[5]	2.7 AU (400 million km)[9]	0.95 AU (142 million km)	4.0 AU (600 million km)[10]	± 3 billion km[5]

The 11 March 2018 virtual impactor did not occur.^[2] The line of variation (LOV) for 2018 was billions of kilometers long and wrapped around the asteroid's orbit so that the asteroid could have been numerous different distances from the Earth. The 2023 line of variation (LOV) was also billions of kilometers long and stretched around the asteroid's known orbit.^[11]

See also

• 2007 FT3
• 2014 MV67