2011 KY15

Very small Aten-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Aten-class Asteroids » 2011 KY15

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 7,612,099 km of Earth in 2023
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2011 KY15 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 KY15 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 KY15 orbits the sun every 191 days (0.52 years), coming as close as 0.26 AU and reaching as far as 1.04 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 KY15 is probably between 0.035 to 0.078 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2011 KY15'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.

2011 KY15 has 21 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
May 18, 2023 7,612,099 14.258
June 11, 2079 23,966,267 16.427
May 16, 2081 15,825,741 15.930
June 7, 2091 13,386,997 13.872
May 20, 2092 3,503,826 13.544
June 12, 2102 22,258,359 15.996
May 29, 2103 5,372,468 12.917
May 17, 2104 18,140,472 16.424
June 11, 2125 19,164,606 15.183
May 18, 2127 22,231,076 17.356
June 10, 2148 17,690,853 14.830
May 18, 2150 24,077,471 17.766
May 19, 2161 8,417,936 14.474
June 11, 2171 18,756,561 15.065
May 26, 2172 3,511,137 13.022
May 17, 2173 22,130,696 17.361
June 7, 2183 11,529,639 13.441
May 20, 2184 5,641,270 13.981
June 12, 2194 21,894,911 15.860
May 29, 2195 5,414,820 12.911
May 17, 2196 17,947,653 16.432

Images and Observations

2011 KY15's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 27, 2011. It was last officially observed on June 2, 2011. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 29 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 2011 KY15:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2455710.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.6487 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.603
  • Inclination: 16.87°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 242.95°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 185.77°
  • Mean Anomaly: 170.63°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.045 km
  • Magnitude: 24.42

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 191 days (0.52 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 36.95 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.04 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.26 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2011 KY15 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 KY15 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.