2016 JU28 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 JU28 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 JU28 orbits the sun every 290 days (0.79 years), coming as close as 0.58 AU and reaching as far as 1.13 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 JU28 is probably between 0.005 to 0.022 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2016 JU28's orbit is 0.01 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 JU28 has 14 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 2, 2020 | 17,561,236 | 6.648 |
| July 10, 2024 | 19,354,189 | 6.516 |
| Aug. 1, 2028 | 18,112,254 | 9.407 |
| May 9, 2039 | 29,254,040 | 14.054 |
| May 7, 2043 | 4,374,726 | 8.972 |
| May 23, 2047 | 13,982,330 | 6.648 |
| Aug. 1, 2059 | 22,747,227 | 11.042 |
| May 9, 2070 | 28,394,369 | 13.884 |
| May 6, 2074 | 5,636,201 | 9.257 |
| Aug. 1, 2090 | 16,327,997 | 8.024 |
| Aug. 1, 2094 | 25,057,090 | 11.696 |
| May 8, 2113 | 18,828,077 | 11.947 |
| May 7, 2117 | 7,106,020 | 9.591 |
| May 9, 2121 | 3,211,962 | 7.844 |
2016 JU28's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 11, 2016. It was last officially observed on May 14, 2016. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 17 observations used to determine its orbit.
2016 JU28 can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.2 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 4,212 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2016 JU28.
The position of 2016 JU28 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.