Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 29,133,006 km of Earth in 2028
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2003 CG11 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 CG11 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2003 CG11 orbits the sun every 1,520 days (4.16 years), coming as close as 0.69 AU and reaching as far as 4.49 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2003 CG11 is probably between 0.211 to 0.472 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2003 CG11's orbit is 0.02 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.

2003 CG11 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 28, 2028 29,133,006 20.770
Aug. 4, 2032 2,893,052 22.697
Feb. 24, 2053 27,131,358 22.503
Aug. 9, 2140 15,737,877 25.334
July 28, 2169 12,141,937 21.854
July 24, 2194 16,549,212 20.755

Images and Observations

2003 CG11's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 27, 2003. It was last officially observed on Aug. 11, 2007. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 81 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 2003 CG11:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.591 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7347
  • Inclination: 21.28°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 130.44°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 107.15°
  • Mean Anomaly: 323.45°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.273 km
  • Magnitude: 20.5

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,520 days (4.16 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.54 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.49 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.69 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2003 CG11 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2003 CG11 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.