2017 RH16

Very small Aten-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Aten-class Asteroids » 2017 RH16

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 3,335,954 km of Earth in 2026
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2017 RH16 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 RH16 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 RH16 orbits the sun every 299 days (0.82 years), coming as close as 0.49 AU and reaching as far as 1.26 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 RH16 is probably between 0.015 to 0.034 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2017 RH16's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.

2017 RH16 has 31 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Aug. 31, 2026 3,335,954 12.136
Dec. 4, 2027 17,299,752 16.322
Sept. 3, 2035 14,676,734 10.196
Dec. 1, 2036 29,365,254 18.912
Sept. 13, 2044 26,574,197 9.330
Nov. 25, 2049 25,094,097 9.379
Sept. 5, 2057 28,176,131 18.645
Dec. 4, 2058 14,468,224 10.160
Sept. 2, 2066 14,566,198 15.770
Dec. 7, 2067 2,087,737 12.467
Sept. 2, 2075 13,540,283 15.550
Dec. 6, 2076 2,960,405 12.235
Sept. 4, 2084 26,812,821 18.350
Dec. 3, 2085 17,005,910 9.819
Sept. 6, 2098 20,660,182 9.514
Sept. 1, 2107 1,740,934 12.474
Dec. 5, 2108 13,675,792 15.565
Aug. 31, 2116 2,856,114 12.246
Dec. 4, 2117 16,375,459 16.138
Sept. 3, 2125 15,079,836 10.144
Sept. 17, 2134 28,743,488 9.396
Nov. 28, 2139 23,414,054 9.395
Sept. 5, 2147 22,940,393 17.544
Dec. 6, 2148 9,563,780 10.961
Sept. 2, 2156 10,285,821 14.883
Dec. 7, 2157 2,688,627 13.214
Sept. 2, 2165 7,841,144 11.310
Dec. 3, 2166 23,707,254 17.702
Dec. 5, 2179 14,846,544 10.104
Sept. 2, 2187 2,784,450 13.371
Dec. 6, 2188 10,735,862 14.952

Images and Observations

2017 RH16's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 3, 2017. It was last officially observed on Nov. 15, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 26 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 RH16:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.8746 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.443
  • Inclination: 0.62°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 338.35°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 226.6°
  • Mean Anomaly: 222.08°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.020 km
  • Magnitude: 26.2

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 299 days (0.82 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.82 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.26 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.49 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 2017 RH16 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.