Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 17,915,535 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2016 NF23 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 NF23 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 NF23 orbits the sun every 240 days (0.66 years), coming as close as 0.42 AU and reaching as far as 1.09 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 NF23 is probably between 0.069 to 0.155 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2016 NF23 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 17.10 hours.
Close Approaches
2016 NF23'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 NF23 has 38 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3, 2020 | 17,915,535 | 13.597 |
| July 11, 2033 | 29,864,016 | 15.963 |
| July 11, 2035 | 8,391,137 | 10.382 |
| Aug. 4, 2037 | 12,146,854 | 8.376 |
| Sept. 1, 2039 | 2,069,756 | 9.689 |
| Sept. 3, 2041 | 23,418,167 | 14.792 |
| July 10, 2054 | 24,456,233 | 14.726 |
| July 13, 2056 | 7,485,843 | 9.553 |
| Aug. 11, 2058 | 11,720,751 | 8.367 |
| Sept. 2, 2060 | 3,948,672 | 10.479 |
| July 11, 2075 | 8,997,375 | 10.732 |
| Aug. 3, 2077 | 11,999,757 | 8.366 |
| Aug. 31, 2079 | 2,875,730 | 9.480 |
| Sept. 3, 2081 | 20,320,978 | 14.130 |
| July 9, 2096 | 19,505,552 | 13.576 |
| July 14, 2098 | 7,684,051 | 9.263 |
| Aug. 10, 2100 | 11,974,666 | 8.379 |
| Sept. 3, 2102 | 2,218,253 | 9.910 |
| Sept. 4, 2104 | 23,634,414 | 14.853 |
| July 11, 2117 | 27,968,647 | 15.577 |
| July 13, 2119 | 7,367,337 | 10.135 |
| Aug. 7, 2121 | 12,004,835 | 8.371 |
| Sept. 3, 2123 | 2,348,208 | 9.907 |
| Sept. 4, 2125 | 26,808,521 | 15.538 |
| July 11, 2138 | 11,402,056 | 11.610 |
| July 29, 2140 | 11,312,725 | 8.417 |
| Aug. 30, 2142 | 4,766,458 | 9.080 |
| Sept. 4, 2144 | 19,684,836 | 13.948 |
| July 12, 2157 | 28,657,248 | 15.776 |
| July 12, 2159 | 7,885,221 | 10.505 |
| Aug. 2, 2161 | 11,855,389 | 8.383 |
| Aug. 30, 2163 | 5,028,947 | 9.074 |
| Sept. 5, 2165 | 16,586,898 | 13.280 |
| July 10, 2180 | 22,286,483 | 14.278 |
| July 14, 2182 | 6,821,020 | 9.585 |
| Aug. 8, 2184 | 12,016,440 | 8.374 |
| Sept. 3, 2186 | 2,554,633 | 9.768 |
| Sept. 4, 2188 | 24,694,320 | 15.048 |
Images and Observations
2016 NF23's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 15, 2014. It was last officially observed on Aug. 23, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 139 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 NF23:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.7551 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4466
- Inclination: 4.42°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 150.2°
- Argument of Periapsis: 343.33°
- Mean Anomaly: 111.76°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.089 km
- Magnitude: 22.92
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 240 days (0.66 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 34.23 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.09 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.42 AU
- Rotation Period: 17.10 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2016 NF23 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 NF23 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.
