2016 CA138

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 8,211,419 km of Earth in 2019
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2016 CA138 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 CA138 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 CA138 orbits the sun every 365 days (1.00 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 1.05 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 CA138 is probably between 0.058 to 0.130 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2016 CA138's orbit is 0.05 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 CA138 has 46 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2016 CA138's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 9, 2016. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 133 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 2016 CA138:

• 3753 Cruithne (1986 TO)
• 10563 Izhdubar (1993 WD)
• 54509 YORP (2000 PH5)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2016 CA138 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.