Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field (0.19 km diameter)
- Will pass within 7,604,751 km of Earth in 2024
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2016 JC6 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 JC6 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2016 JC6 orbits the sun every 265 days (0.73 years), coming as close as 0.58 AU and reaching as far as 1.04 AU from the sun. 2016 JC6 is about 0.2 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of 2016 JC6 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.28 hours.
Close Approaches
2016 JC6'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 JC6 has 22 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 1, 2024 | 7,604,751 | 7.089 |
| April 18, 2037 | 11,750,852 | 7.097 |
| May 18, 2045 | 3,226,341 | 5.764 |
| June 4, 2053 | 11,793,715 | 7.956 |
| April 17, 2066 | 12,226,608 | 7.212 |
| May 11, 2074 | 4,373,646 | 5.665 |
| May 31, 2082 | 5,710,844 | 6.650 |
| June 5, 2090 | 25,835,979 | 10.987 |
| April 15, 2095 | 17,056,129 | 8.438 |
| May 7, 2103 | 5,197,593 | 5.722 |
| May 31, 2111 | 5,249,541 | 6.540 |
| June 6, 2119 | 28,230,676 | 11.519 |
| April 17, 2124 | 13,816,959 | 7.678 |
| May 15, 2132 | 3,716,920 | 5.716 |
| June 4, 2140 | 11,324,610 | 7.815 |
| April 18, 2153 | 11,701,184 | 7.147 |
| May 14, 2161 | 3,898,170 | 5.695 |
| June 1, 2169 | 7,123,630 | 6.892 |
| June 5, 2177 | 27,349,932 | 11.293 |
| April 16, 2182 | 15,957,167 | 8.212 |
| May 5, 2190 | 5,174,531 | 5.747 |
| May 30, 2198 | 4,981,039 | 6.425 |
Images and Observations
2016 JC6's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 15, 2016. It was last officially observed on May 31, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 429 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2016 JC6 can be reached with a journey of 178 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.155 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 1,109 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2016 JC6.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2016 JC6:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.8073 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2822
- Inclination: 6.79°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 236.87°
- Argument of Periapsis: 174.04°
- Mean Anomaly: 221.0°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.19200 km
- Magnitude: 21.38
- Albedo: 0.145
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 265 days (0.73 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 33.14 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.04 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.58 AU
- Rotation Period: 2.28 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2016 JC6 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 JC6 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.
