2017 BP32

Very small Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 2017 BP32

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 7,815,283 km of Earth in 2020
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2017 BP32 is a very small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2017 BP32 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 BP32 orbits the sun every 549 days (1.50 years), coming as close as 1.04 AU and reaching as far as 1.59 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 BP32 is probably between 0.057 to 0.126 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2017 BP32's orbit is 0.05 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 BP32 has 11 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 5, 2020 7,815,283 12.967
Feb. 6, 2023 10,533,906 12.954
Feb. 8, 2026 17,113,064 13.106
Feb. 10, 2029 26,022,098 13.501
Feb. 1, 2133 23,087,533 13.873
Feb. 4, 2136 14,648,655 13.336
Feb. 5, 2139 9,056,137 13.062
Feb. 6, 2142 8,114,096 12.953
Feb. 8, 2145 12,185,697 12.970
Feb. 10, 2148 19,828,096 13.180
Feb. 12, 2151 29,114,720 13.658

Images and Observations

2017 BP32's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 29, 2017. It was last officially observed on Feb. 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 237 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 2017 BP32:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.313 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.21
  • Inclination: 23.7°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 315.39°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 185.83°
  • Mean Anomaly: 138.8°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.073 km
  • Magnitude: 23.36

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 549 days (1.50 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.02 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.59 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.04 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 2017 BP32 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 BP32 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.