Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 19,093,306 km of Earth in 2029
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2015 CZ13 is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2015 CZ13 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2015 CZ13 orbits the sun every 1,710 days (4.68 years), coming as close as 0.66 AU and reaching as far as 4.94 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2015 CZ13 is probably between 0.421 to 0.942 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2015 CZ13'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.

2015 CZ13 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
July 28, 2029 19,093,306 22.179
Aug. 1, 2062 22,898,208 25.368
July 29, 2081 16,971,260 23.510

Images and Observations

2015 CZ13's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 12, 2015. It was last officially observed on Nov. 17, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 110 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 2015 CZ13:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.803 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.7632
  • Inclination: 19.04°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 145.77°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 77.5°
  • Mean Anomaly: 278.84°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.544 km
  • Magnitude: 19.0

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,710 days (4.68 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.83 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.94 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.66 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2015 CZ13 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2015 CZ13 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.