2005 HC4

2005 HC₄ is the asteroid with the smallest known perihelion of any known object orbiting the Sun (except sungrazing comets). Its extreme orbital eccentricity brings it to within 0.071 AU of the Sun (23% of Mercury's perihelion) and takes it as far as 3.562 AU from the Sun (well beyond the orbit of Mars). Due to its very small perihelion and comparably large aphelion, 2005 HC₄ achieves the fastest speed of any known asteroid bound to the Solar System with a velocity of 157 km/s (565,000 km/h; 351,000 mi/h) at perihelion (there are comets, however, which obtain much higher speeds).

See also

• List of Mercury-crossing minor planets
• List of Venus-crossing minor planets
• Apollo asteroids
• List of Mars-crossing minor planets

References

External links

• 2005 HC4 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemerides · Observation prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Observational info · Close approaches · Physical info · Orbit animation
• 2005 HC4 at ESA–space situational awareness
  • Ephemerides · Observations · Orbit · Physical properties · Summary
• 2005 HC4 at the JPL Small-Body Database