2009 DZ42

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 11,136,071 km of Earth in 2032
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2009 DZ42 is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2009 DZ42 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2009 DZ42 orbits the sun every 1,400 days (3.83 years), coming as close as 1.02 AU and reaching as far as 3.87 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2009 DZ42 is probably between 0.317 to 0.708 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2009 DZ42's orbit is 0.04 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 DZ42 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2009 DZ42's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 26, 2009. It was last officially observed on Dec. 16, 2012. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 93 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 DZ42:

• 11 Parthenope (A850 JA)
• 19 Fortuna (A852 QA)
• 42 Isis (A856 KB)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2009 DZ42 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 DZ42 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.