Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon (1.20 km diameter)
- Will pass within 11,716,057 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
175706 (1996 FG3) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1996 FG3 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
1996 FG3 orbits the sun every 396 days (1.08 years), coming as close as 0.69 AU and reaching as far as 1.42 AU from the sun. 1996 FG3 is about 1.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.
The rotation of 1996 FG3 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.59 hours.
1996 FG3's spectral type None (Tholen) / C (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.
Close Approaches
1996 FG3's orbit is 0.03 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.
1996 FG3 has 24 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 3, 2022 | 11,716,057 | 8.959 |
| Nov. 25, 2024 | 26,931,254 | 6.118 |
| May 5, 2035 | 15,864,986 | 8.107 |
| Nov. 22, 2037 | 19,263,159 | 7.319 |
| May 5, 2048 | 26,136,180 | 6.097 |
| Nov. 24, 2050 | 8,446,872 | 9.609 |
| Nov. 28, 2063 | 9,220,335 | 12.750 |
| April 24, 2073 | 23,086,700 | 15.557 |
| Dec. 2, 2076 | 23,310,018 | 15.740 |
| April 29, 2086 | 8,522,949 | 12.428 |
| May 4, 2099 | 9,890,674 | 9.390 |
| Nov. 24, 2101 | 23,829,397 | 6.496 |
| May 6, 2112 | 19,570,893 | 7.328 |
| Nov. 24, 2114 | 17,305,968 | 7.701 |
| May 7, 2125 | 22,076,206 | 6.833 |
| Nov. 24, 2127 | 14,591,283 | 8.247 |
| May 7, 2138 | 19,342,026 | 7.394 |
| Nov. 23, 2140 | 17,199,444 | 7.728 |
| May 8, 2151 | 22,246,437 | 6.824 |
| Nov. 24, 2153 | 14,824,597 | 8.217 |
| Nov. 27, 2166 | 4,601,799 | 10.609 |
| Nov. 30, 2179 | 8,086,863 | 12.524 |
| April 27, 2189 | 18,023,732 | 14.527 |
| Dec. 5, 2192 | 29,552,553 | 17.057 |
Images and Observations
1996 FG3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 17, 1985. It was last officially observed on Aug. 6, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,945 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
1996 FG3 can be reached with a journey of 450 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.274 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 44 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 1996 FG3.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 1996 FG3:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.055 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3501
- Inclination: 1.97°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 299.52°
- Argument of Periapsis: 24.07°
- Mean Anomaly: 28.85°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 1.19600 km
- Magnitude: 18.36
- Albedo: 0.072
- Spectral type (SMASS): C
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 396 days (1.08 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.98 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.42 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.69 AU
- Rotation Period: 3.59 hours
- Approx. Composition: water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 175706 (1996 FG3) 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 1996 FG3 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.
