Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 27,496,587 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2017 BZ6 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 BZ6 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 BZ6 orbits the sun every 413 days (1.13 years), coming as close as 0.98 AU and reaching as far as 1.19 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 BZ6 is probably between 0.010 to 0.047 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2017 BZ6's orbit is 0.04 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 BZ6 has 29 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| June 26, 2025 | 27,496,587 | 3.769 |
| Sept. 27, 2033 | 28,971,714 | 7.080 |
| March 28, 2034 | 25,349,798 | 2.933 |
| Aug. 19, 2042 | 15,771,764 | 3.421 |
| Jan. 22, 2043 | 12,241,036 | 4.963 |
| Sept. 1, 2059 | 13,456,253 | 3.319 |
| Jan. 23, 2060 | 6,654,496 | 3.960 |
| April 23, 2068 | 29,400,723 | 3.104 |
| July 14, 2076 | 24,805,266 | 3.819 |
| Sept. 24, 2084 | 15,030,232 | 3.958 |
| Feb. 2, 2085 | 12,502,716 | 3.087 |
| June 16, 2093 | 29,117,853 | 3.753 |
| Sept. 21, 2101 | 13,791,779 | 3.675 |
| Jan. 30, 2102 | 10,060,328 | 3.110 |
| July 10, 2110 | 25,268,738 | 3.807 |
| April 16, 2119 | 27,887,095 | 2.956 |
| Aug. 28, 2127 | 14,371,402 | 3.354 |
| Jan. 23, 2128 | 8,501,344 | 4.329 |
| Aug. 16, 2144 | 17,175,443 | 3.501 |
| Jan. 22, 2145 | 15,100,631 | 5.459 |
| April 4, 2153 | 26,661,319 | 2.905 |
| July 6, 2161 | 26,633,725 | 3.864 |
| Sept. 23, 2169 | 14,174,110 | 3.648 |
| Jan. 29, 2170 | 10,147,619 | 3.107 |
| June 22, 2178 | 28,333,249 | 3.803 |
| Sept. 29, 2186 | 17,938,572 | 4.549 |
| Feb. 15, 2187 | 16,620,940 | 3.074 |
| July 24, 2195 | 22,397,765 | 3.758 |
| Jan. 25, 2196 | 29,040,640 | 7.955 |
Images and Observations
2017 BZ6's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 27, 2017. It was last officially observed on March 23, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 71 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2017 BZ6 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.084 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 340,031 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2017 BZ6.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2017 BZ6:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.086 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.0932
- Inclination: 5.83°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 315.06°
- Argument of Periapsis: 117.59°
- Mean Anomaly: 355.22°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.029 km
- Magnitude: 26.1
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 413 days (1.13 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.61 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.19 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.98 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2017 BZ6 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 BZ6 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.
