Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 11,684,940 km of Earth in 2027
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2017 BW is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 BW 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 BW orbits the sun every 407 days (1.11 years), coming as close as 0.93 AU and reaching as far as 1.23 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 BW is probably between 0.035 to 0.156 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 BW has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 14.56 hours.
Close Approaches
2017 BW's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2017 BW has 21 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 19, 2027 | 11,684,940 | 3.216 |
| July 23, 2037 | 22,660,961 | 8.623 |
| Feb. 15, 2046 | 4,945,047 | 5.596 |
| Feb. 16, 2056 | 4,405,892 | 5.502 |
| July 23, 2067 | 11,219,281 | 6.388 |
| Dec. 28, 2076 | 27,426,925 | 3.804 |
| May 29, 2077 | 16,482,674 | 3.179 |
| Aug. 5, 2077 | 17,192,166 | 3.076 |
| Feb. 18, 2087 | 2,403,056 | 4.509 |
| March 6, 2097 | 11,363,844 | 3.223 |
| Sept. 9, 2097 | 28,462,814 | 4.204 |
| Jan. 1, 2107 | 26,942,875 | 3.700 |
| May 24, 2107 | 16,546,419 | 3.282 |
| Aug. 6, 2107 | 17,957,709 | 3.093 |
| July 18, 2117 | 6,336,446 | 4.372 |
| July 23, 2127 | 16,499,329 | 7.446 |
| Feb. 10, 2136 | 20,994,260 | 8.635 |
| Feb. 17, 2146 | 1,942,819 | 4.930 |
| Feb. 8, 2156 | 28,416,530 | 10.110 |
| July 27, 2157 | 24,473,063 | 9.057 |
| July 21, 2167 | 5,799,324 | 4.331 |
Images and Observations
2017 BW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 19, 2017. It was last officially observed on Oct. 27, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 474 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2017 BW can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.128 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 257,577 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2017 BW.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2017 BW:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.076 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1398
- Inclination: 4.76°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 142.52°
- Argument of Periapsis: 70.23°
- Mean Anomaly: 269.28°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.096 km
- Magnitude: 23.49
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 407 days (1.11 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.76 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.23 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.93 AU
- Rotation Period: 14.56 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2017 BW 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 BW 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.
