Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court (0.15 km diameter)
- Will pass within 23,042,710 km of Earth in 2026
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2010 DO is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2010 DO as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2010 DO orbits the sun every 748 days (2.05 years), coming as close as 0.41 AU and reaching as far as 2.81 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. 2010 DO is about 0.1 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2010 DO'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.
2010 DO has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Oct. 13, 2026 | 23,042,710 | 25.293 |
| Feb. 25, 2053 | 8,691,799 | 27.409 |
| Oct. 10, 2069 | 25,895,665 | 23.526 |
| Feb. 21, 2096 | 26,883,244 | 31.196 |
| March 5, 2098 | 17,903,968 | 22.392 |
| Oct. 12, 2112 | 25,712,705 | 23.843 |
| Feb. 28, 2139 | 7,454,626 | 27.028 |
| Oct. 16, 2155 | 24,615,816 | 25.413 |
| Feb. 25, 2182 | 16,598,730 | 28.973 |
| March 9, 2184 | 26,839,942 | 20.733 |
Images and Observations
2010 DO's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 16, 2010. It was last officially observed on March 1, 2012. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 64 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 2010 DO:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.612 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.7457
- Inclination: 11.94°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 154.43°
- Argument of Periapsis: 116.81°
- Mean Anomaly: 199.32°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.14900 km
- Magnitude: 21.66
- Albedo: 0.176
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 748 days (2.05 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.45 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.81 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.41 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2010 DO 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 2010 DO 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.
