108906 (2001 PL9)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 28,886,909 km of Earth in 2086
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

108906 (2001 PL9) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 PL9 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.

2001 PL9 orbits the sun every 502 days (1.37 years), coming as close as 0.79 AU and reaching as far as 1.68 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 PL9 is probably between 0.690 to 1.542 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2001 PL9's orbit is 0.19 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.

2001 PL9 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2001 PL9's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 5, 2001. It was last officially observed on Aug. 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 646 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2001 PL9:

• 10165 (1995 BL2)
• 85236 (1993 KH)
• 87025 (2000 JT66)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 108906 (2001 PL9) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2001 PL9 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.