Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 21,299,881 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2011 KB is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 KB 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 KB orbits the sun every 283 days (0.77 years), coming as close as 0.54 AU and reaching as far as 1.15 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 KB 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 KB's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2011 KB has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 15, 2025 | 21,299,881 | 7.361 |
| May 11, 2042 | 24,081,828 | 14.111 |
| Aug. 3, 2046 | 12,720,938 | 9.568 |
| May 9, 2049 | 10,541,365 | 11.338 |
| Aug. 2, 2053 | 19,246,854 | 12.008 |
| May 10, 2056 | 975,527 | 9.175 |
Images and Observations
2011 KB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 21, 2011. It was last officially observed on June 1, 2011. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 37 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2011 KB can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.599 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 148 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2011 KB.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2011 KB:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8443 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3636
- Inclination: 4.8°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 233.62°
- Argument of Periapsis: 216.57°
- Mean Anomaly: 75.25°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.046 km
- Magnitude: 25.1
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 283 days (0.77 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 32.46 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.15 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.54 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2011 KB 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 KB 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.
