Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 4,009,723 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2017 BM123 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 BM123 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.
2017 BM123 orbits the sun every 549 days (1.50 years), coming as close as 0.92 AU and reaching as far as 1.70 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 BM123 is probably between 0.030 to 0.135 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
The rotation of 2017 BM123 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.15 hours.
Close Approaches
2017 BM123's orbit is 0.03 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.
2017 BM123 has 22 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 1, 2020 | 4,009,723 | 8.139 |
| March 3, 2023 | 4,623,056 | 7.816 |
| March 6, 2026 | 7,608,704 | 7.156 |
| March 16, 2029 | 13,566,671 | 6.306 |
| April 5, 2032 | 19,420,574 | 6.137 |
| May 2, 2035 | 22,357,372 | 6.050 |
| June 7, 2038 | 21,143,863 | 5.545 |
| June 23, 2041 | 18,589,636 | 7.299 |
| June 28, 2044 | 20,868,804 | 9.423 |
| July 4, 2047 | 28,572,621 | 11.770 |
| Feb. 20, 2121 | 23,340,216 | 12.380 |
| Feb. 25, 2124 | 11,748,662 | 10.162 |
| March 2, 2127 | 4,995,020 | 8.665 |
| March 3, 2130 | 4,357,247 | 8.097 |
| March 5, 2133 | 5,681,759 | 7.588 |
| March 10, 2136 | 10,096,245 | 6.740 |
| March 25, 2139 | 16,265,524 | 6.099 |
| April 17, 2142 | 21,038,720 | 6.153 |
| May 15, 2145 | 22,384,455 | 5.806 |
| June 18, 2148 | 19,613,609 | 6.054 |
| June 27, 2151 | 18,159,623 | 8.017 |
| July 2, 2154 | 22,261,665 | 10.135 |
Images and Observations
2017 BM123's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 31, 2017. It was last officially observed on March 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 364 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2017 BM123 can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.059 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 2,317 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2017 BM123.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2017 BM123:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.312 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2972
- Inclination: 7.84°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 151.37°
- Argument of Periapsis: 59.76°
- Mean Anomaly: 99.76°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.083 km
- Magnitude: 23.81
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 549 days (1.50 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.00 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.70 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.92 AU
- Rotation Period: 2.15 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2017 BM123 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 2017 BM123 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.
