2016 DP2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 DP2 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 DP2 orbits the sun every 290 days (0.79 years), coming as close as 0.61 AU and reaching as far as 1.11 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 DP2 is probably between 0.011 to 0.051 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2016 DP2's orbit is 0.02 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 DP2 has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
March 20, 2020 | 16,987,168 | 6.429 |
April 25, 2024 | 16,553,231 | 6.269 |
May 11, 2028 | 17,241,469 | 9.335 |
Feb. 16, 2043 | 19,647,133 | 11.708 |
Feb. 18, 2047 | 3,752,705 | 7.483 |
2016 DP2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 28, 2016. It was last officially observed on March 9, 2016. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 41 observations used to determine its orbit.
2016 DP2 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.778 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 6,709 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2016 DP2.
The position of 2016 DP2 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2016 DP2 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.