2006 RH120 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2006 RH120 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.
2006 RH120 orbits the sun every 384 days (1.05 years), coming as close as 1.01 AU and reaching as far as 1.06 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2006 RH120 is probably between 0.002 to 0.010 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2006 RH120 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.05 hours.
2006 RH120's orbit is 0.02 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
2006 RH120 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 18, 2028 | 4,020,587 | 0.136 |
| Oct. 9, 2028 | 4,053,788 | 0.785 |
2006 RH120's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 14, 2006. It was last officially observed on June 22, 2007. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 131 observations used to determine its orbit.
2006 RH120 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 3.497 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 3,079,278 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2006 RH120.
The position of 2006 RH120 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.