Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 13,949,561 km of Earth in 2022
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2009 CC3 is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2009 CC3 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2009 CC3 orbits the sun every 1,200 days (3.29 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 3.39 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2009 CC3 is probably between 0.400 to 0.895 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

2009 CC3'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.

2009 CC3 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
April 26, 2022 13,949,561 9.544
May 4, 2058 18,559,219 9.941
March 30, 2153 11,010,874 11.089

Images and Observations

2009 CC3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 4, 2009. It was last officially observed on July 23, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 977 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 2009 CC3:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.205 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5367
  • Inclination: 11.36°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 194.89°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 15.59°
  • Mean Anomaly: 152.33°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.517 km
  • Magnitude: 19.11

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,200 days (3.29 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.99 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.39 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.02 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2009 CC3 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 2009 CC3 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.