2017 DS109

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 15,243,964 km of Earth in 2020
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2017 DS109 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 DS109 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 DS109 orbits the sun every 1,110 days (3.04 years), coming as close as 0.91 AU and reaching as far as 3.28 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 DS109 is probably between 0.016 to 0.037 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2017 DS109's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.

2017 DS109 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2017 DS109's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 14, 2017. It was last officially observed on March 5, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 148 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 DS109:

• 3271 Ul (1982 RB)
• 3551 Verenia (1983 RD)
• 5751 Zao (1992 AC)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2017 DS109 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.