Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 11,361,509 km of Earth in 2064
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2017 QV34 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 QV34 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2017 QV34 orbits the sun every 1,430 days (3.92 years), coming as close as 0.99 AU and reaching as far as 3.98 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 QV34 is probably between 0.220 to 0.492 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2017 QV34'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 QV34 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Oct. 23, 2064 11,361,509 9.205

Images and Observations

2017 QV34's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 16, 2017. It was last officially observed on Feb. 27, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 240 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 QV34:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.482 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6029
  • Inclination: 10.02°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 188.31°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 213.78°
  • Mean Anomaly: 179.44°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.284 km
  • Magnitude: 20.41

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,430 days (3.92 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.88 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.98 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.99 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2017 QV34 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 QV34 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.