2012 DO8 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2012 DO8 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.
2012 DO8 orbits the sun every 337 days (0.92 years), coming as close as 0.71 AU and reaching as far as 1.18 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2012 DO8 is probably between 0.059 to 0.265 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
2012 DO8's orbit is 0.13 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.
2012 DO8 has 32 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
Feb. 2, 2023 | 25,902,322 | 6.946 |
April 18, 2024 | 20,265,157 | 6.916 |
Jan. 23, 2035 | 24,391,822 | 6.690 |
April 4, 2036 | 24,131,334 | 6.975 |
Jan. 2, 2047 | 25,920,803 | 10.645 |
March 1, 2048 | 29,248,092 | 7.500 |
April 30, 2049 | 21,296,734 | 9.481 |
Jan. 16, 2060 | 23,059,988 | 6.592 |
March 28, 2061 | 26,032,899 | 7.160 |
Feb. 16, 2073 | 28,573,985 | 7.356 |
April 26, 2074 | 19,294,589 | 7.378 |
Jan. 2, 2085 | 20,924,271 | 7.921 |
March 14, 2086 | 28,460,500 | 7.458 |
April 30, 2087 | 29,567,281 | 12.081 |
Feb. 6, 2098 | 27,007,354 | 7.105 |
April 18, 2099 | 21,181,074 | 6.875 |
Jan. 10, 2110 | 21,322,898 | 6.808 |
March 29, 2111 | 25,814,951 | 7.152 |
Feb. 6, 2122 | 25,889,057 | 7.033 |
April 25, 2123 | 19,195,070 | 7.263 |
Jan. 5, 2133 | 21,013,764 | 8.291 |
March 23, 2134 | 26,154,186 | 7.234 |
Feb. 22, 2145 | 27,590,813 | 7.353 |
May 1, 2146 | 21,993,023 | 9.654 |
Jan. 25, 2156 | 23,304,590 | 6.702 |
April 15, 2157 | 21,239,723 | 6.826 |
Jan. 5, 2167 | 22,780,217 | 9.377 |
March 17, 2168 | 26,948,983 | 7.316 |
Feb. 15, 2179 | 26,948,024 | 7.217 |
April 29, 2180 | 19,379,591 | 8.247 |
Jan. 6, 2190 | 20,635,124 | 7.921 |
March 23, 2191 | 26,528,709 | 7.260 |
2012 DO8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 21, 2012. It was last officially observed on March 18, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 109 observations used to determine its orbit.
2012 DO8 can be reached with a journey of 450 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.084 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 1,628 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2012 DO8.
The position of 2012 DO8 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2012 DO8 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.