Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court
- Will pass within 9,892,402 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2016 LT is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 LT 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 LT orbits the sun every 659 days (1.80 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 2.02 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 LT is probably between 0.121 to 0.272 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2016 LT's orbit is 0.06 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 LT has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 1, 2025 | 9,892,402 | 9.515 |
| July 11, 2034 | 13,841,769 | 7.510 |
| Aug. 12, 2043 | 22,745,263 | 6.588 |
| Oct. 5, 2052 | 22,260,400 | 6.993 |
| Oct. 19, 2061 | 24,057,596 | 10.617 |
| June 27, 2108 | 15,707,197 | 11.297 |
| July 5, 2117 | 10,255,682 | 8.729 |
| July 19, 2126 | 17,467,751 | 6.856 |
| Sept. 3, 2135 | 24,120,281 | 6.481 |
| Oct. 14, 2144 | 20,989,563 | 8.203 |
| Oct. 24, 2153 | 27,926,296 | 12.081 |
| June 23, 2191 | 27,062,132 | 13.623 |
Images and Observations
2016 LT's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 2, 2016. It was last officially observed on Jan. 10, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 57 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 LT:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.482 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3616
- Inclination: 8.92°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 80.53°
- Argument of Periapsis: 251.35°
- Mean Anomaly: 336.58°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.157 km
- Magnitude: 21.7
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 659 days (1.80 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.47 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.02 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.95 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2016 LT 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 LT 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.
