2015 RA36

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 12,296,205 km of Earth in 2103
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2015 RA36 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2015 RA36 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2015 RA36 orbits the sun every 1,530 days (4.19 years), coming as close as 0.93 AU and reaching as far as 4.27 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2015 RA36 is probably between 0.289 to 0.646 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2015 RA36's orbit is 0.05 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.

2015 RA36 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2015 RA36's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 9, 2015. It was last officially observed on Oct. 17, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 73 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 RA36:

• 56 Melete (A857 RB)
• 111 Ate (A870 PA)
• 151 Abundantia (A875 VA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2015 RA36 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 2015 RA36 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.