Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 19,809,688 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2016 BW14 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 BW14 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.
2016 BW14 orbits the sun every 307 days (0.84 years), coming as close as 0.72 AU and reaching as far as 1.06 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 BW14 is probably between 0.120 to 0.540 kilometers in diameter, making it small in absolute terms, but larger than 90% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
Close Approaches
2016 BW14's orbit is 0.04 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
2016 BW14 has 17 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Nov. 22, 2020 | 19,809,688 | 6.908 |
| Feb. 13, 2032 | 7,147,482 | 6.748 |
| Dec. 5, 2036 | 17,470,621 | 5.585 |
| Feb. 17, 2048 | 13,533,091 | 8.288 |
| Dec. 12, 2052 | 17,177,151 | 5.525 |
| Feb. 14, 2064 | 7,818,639 | 6.904 |
| Dec. 3, 2068 | 17,531,224 | 5.714 |
| Feb. 17, 2080 | 11,873,769 | 7.901 |
| Feb. 18, 2096 | 27,006,588 | 11.169 |
| Feb. 19, 2112 | 18,391,862 | 9.316 |
| Feb. 19, 2128 | 18,131,451 | 9.237 |
| Jan. 3, 2133 | 15,288,322 | 5.641 |
| Nov. 24, 2153 | 21,664,832 | 7.799 |
| Feb. 2, 2165 | 9,046,369 | 5.762 |
| Nov. 23, 2169 | 23,218,931 | 8.366 |
| Nov. 23, 2185 | 28,875,693 | 10.010 |
| Feb. 18, 2192 | 29,637,861 | 11.636 |
Images and Observations
2016 BW14's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 28, 2016. It was last officially observed on Feb. 10, 2016. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 52 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2016 BW14 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.126 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 22,642 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2016 BW14.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2016 BW14:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2459000.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8914 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1933
- Inclination: 7.58°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 127.69°
- Argument of Periapsis: 156.42°
- Mean Anomaly: 269.88°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.330 km
- Magnitude: 25.8
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 307 days (0.84 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.59 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.06 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.72 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2016 BW14 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 2016 BW14 to create an approximate landscape rendering. The approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.