Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 3,432,078 km of Earth in 2026
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2007 DB61 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2007 DB61 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.
2007 DB61 orbits the sun every 267 days (0.73 years), coming as close as 0.52 AU and reaching as far as 1.11 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2007 DB61 is probably between 0.032 to 0.142 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2007 DB61's orbit is 0.01 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.
2007 DB61 has 34 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 21, 2026 | 3,432,078 | 8.784 |
| May 3, 2029 | 15,961,019 | 11.017 |
| Feb. 19, 2034 | 19,606,140 | 13.347 |
| April 20, 2037 | 15,237,865 | 7.697 |
| March 18, 2045 | 16,602,827 | 7.610 |
| Feb. 21, 2053 | 3,496,367 | 8.767 |
| May 2, 2056 | 18,381,081 | 11.775 |
| Feb. 18, 2061 | 10,852,261 | 11.462 |
| April 30, 2064 | 12,715,104 | 8.863 |
| Feb. 20, 2069 | 26,825,403 | 14.912 |
| April 14, 2072 | 16,576,354 | 7.597 |
| March 19, 2080 | 16,892,866 | 7.616 |
| Feb. 27, 2088 | 8,974,925 | 7.936 |
| May 2, 2091 | 24,612,244 | 13.462 |
| Feb. 20, 2096 | 3,379,592 | 9.872 |
| May 2, 2099 | 13,281,608 | 9.644 |
| Feb. 22, 2104 | 27,767,607 | 15.115 |
| April 11, 2107 | 17,416,087 | 7.563 |
| March 8, 2115 | 13,181,398 | 7.623 |
| May 3, 2118 | 27,250,592 | 14.107 |
| Feb. 20, 2123 | 5,329,603 | 10.309 |
| May 2, 2126 | 12,947,303 | 8.829 |
| March 26, 2134 | 17,739,666 | 7.619 |
| Feb. 21, 2142 | 1,742,634 | 9.498 |
| May 1, 2145 | 13,326,796 | 8.650 |
| March 4, 2153 | 11,791,789 | 7.700 |
| May 4, 2156 | 19,022,200 | 11.842 |
| Feb. 22, 2161 | 28,096,893 | 15.201 |
| March 30, 2164 | 18,251,067 | 7.598 |
| Feb. 20, 2172 | 8,386,567 | 10.976 |
| April 24, 2175 | 15,496,470 | 7.735 |
| Feb. 23, 2183 | 3,885,919 | 8.683 |
| May 4, 2186 | 14,216,830 | 9.991 |
| March 24, 2194 | 17,679,645 | 7.615 |
Images and Observations
2007 DB61's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 21, 1999. It was last officially observed on April 9, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 66 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2007 DB61 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.784 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 17 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2007 DB61.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2007 DB61:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8113 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3647
- Inclination: 5.38°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 159.05°
- Argument of Periapsis: 209.4°
- Mean Anomaly: 350.52°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.087 km
- Magnitude: 23.7
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 267 days (0.73 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 33.06 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.11 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.52 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2007 DB61 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 2007 DB61 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.
