2014 BX2

Very small Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 2014 BX2

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller (0.11 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 9,193,377 km of Earth in 2073
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2014 BX2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2014 BX2 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2014 BX2 orbits the sun every 1,200 days (3.29 years), coming as close as 0.53 AU and reaching as far as 3.90 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. 2014 BX2 is about 0.1 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2014 BX2's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2014 BX2 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Aug. 22, 2073 9,193,377 22.030
Feb. 23, 2093 28,195,278 18.086

Images and Observations

2014 BX2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 31, 2013. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2014. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 40 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 2014 BX2:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.214 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.761
  • Inclination: 2.25°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 135.82°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 99.94°
  • Mean Anomaly: 310.92°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.11000 km
  • Magnitude: 21.8
  • Albedo: 0.253

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,200 days (3.29 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.90 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.53 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2014 BX2 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 2014 BX2 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.