Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller (0.12 km diameter)
- Will pass within 5,286,770 km of Earth in 2021
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2016 CL136 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 CL136 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2016 CL136 orbits the sun every 228 days (0.62 years), coming as close as 0.28 AU and reaching as far as 1.18 AU from the sun. 2016 CL136 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
2016 CL136's orbit is 0.03 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.
2016 CL136 has 26 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 1, 2021 | 5,286,770 | 18.064 |
| Feb. 3, 2026 | 13,360,810 | 16.729 |
| Feb. 7, 2031 | 21,463,750 | 15.939 |
| Feb. 12, 2036 | 28,165,948 | 15.591 |
| Feb. 4, 2054 | 22,960,919 | 22.998 |
| Feb. 2, 2059 | 11,895,628 | 20.658 |
| Feb. 2, 2064 | 4,122,504 | 18.696 |
| Feb. 2, 2069 | 9,973,825 | 17.201 |
| Feb. 5, 2074 | 18,534,277 | 16.188 |
| Feb. 10, 2079 | 25,892,628 | 15.691 |
| Feb. 5, 2097 | 28,244,124 | 24.148 |
| Feb. 4, 2102 | 16,700,499 | 21.679 |
| Feb. 3, 2107 | 6,704,524 | 19.584 |
| Feb. 4, 2112 | 5,670,470 | 17.958 |
| Feb. 5, 2117 | 14,380,602 | 16.630 |
| Feb. 9, 2122 | 22,711,680 | 15.878 |
| Feb. 14, 2127 | 29,429,097 | 15.575 |
| Feb. 5, 2145 | 21,508,763 | 22.718 |
| Feb. 4, 2150 | 10,459,534 | 20.418 |
| Feb. 3, 2155 | 3,835,074 | 18.581 |
| Feb. 5, 2160 | 10,807,669 | 17.083 |
| Feb. 7, 2165 | 19,781,872 | 16.086 |
| Feb. 12, 2170 | 27,307,652 | 15.640 |
| Feb. 6, 2188 | 25,024,859 | 23.498 |
| Feb. 4, 2193 | 14,465,682 | 21.267 |
| Feb. 3, 2198 | 4,935,889 | 19.212 |
Images and Observations
2016 CL136's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 6, 2016. It was last officially observed on Feb. 20, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 223 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 CL136:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.7296 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.6223
- Inclination: 21.53°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 316.42°
- Argument of Periapsis: 23.53°
- Mean Anomaly: 167.67°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.12300 km
- Magnitude: 21.36
- Albedo: 0.320
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 228 days (0.62 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 34.81 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.18 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.28 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2016 CL136 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 2016 CL136 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.
