Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 18,087,967 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2011 HN5 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 HN5 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.
2011 HN5 orbits the sun every 321 days (0.88 years), coming as close as 0.69 AU and reaching as far as 1.14 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 HN5 is probably between 0.017 to 0.074 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2011 HN5'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.
2011 HN5 has 16 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 18, 2019 | 18,087,967 | 9.371 |
| March 31, 2040 | 20,324,305 | 10.360 |
| July 17, 2041 | 19,815,202 | 9.784 |
| June 30, 2048 | 15,407,683 | 4.946 |
| May 8, 2055 | 18,087,164 | 5.345 |
| April 1, 2062 | 5,623,692 | 6.460 |
| April 2, 2069 | 26,452,869 | 11.640 |
| July 18, 2070 | 16,529,189 | 8.903 |
| April 1, 2098 | 5,516,782 | 6.465 |
| April 3, 2105 | 24,247,531 | 11.167 |
| July 19, 2106 | 18,147,265 | 9.310 |
| April 2, 2127 | 5,572,494 | 6.279 |
| July 20, 2135 | 11,856,308 | 7.437 |
| April 1, 2156 | 16,899,037 | 9.655 |
| July 18, 2157 | 23,780,008 | 10.619 |
| July 11, 2164 | 13,012,004 | 5.065 |
Images and Observations
2011 HN5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 27, 2011. It was last officially observed on May 11, 2011. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 25 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2011 HN5 can be reached with a journey of 378 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.522 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 97,363 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2011 HN5.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2011 HN5:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9182 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2431
- Inclination: 3.97°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 223.15°
- Argument of Periapsis: 201.66°
- Mean Anomaly: 161.45°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.046 km
- Magnitude: 25.1
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 321 days (0.88 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.12 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.14 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.69 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2011 HN5 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 2011 HN5 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.
