2017 RZ15 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 RZ15 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 RZ15 orbits the sun every 342 days (0.94 years), coming as close as 0.71 AU and reaching as far as 1.20 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 RZ15 is probably between 0.066 to 0.300 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2017 RZ15'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 RZ15 has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 15, 2020 | 4,642,487 | 7.389 |
| Sept. 16, 2032 | 18,727,387 | 5.264 |
| Jan. 11, 2035 | 18,326,913 | 11.530 |
| Sept. 5, 2046 | 7,958,334 | 9.482 |
| Sept. 3, 2061 | 6,421,628 | 9.179 |
| Sept. 6, 2076 | 17,824,586 | 11.448 |
| Sept. 6, 2091 | 12,305,735 | 10.264 |
| Jan. 10, 2094 | 14,336,448 | 5.306 |
| Sept. 5, 2106 | 8,650,190 | 6.203 |
| Jan. 14, 2109 | 9,504,767 | 9.547 |
| Sept. 7, 2120 | 19,612,481 | 11.778 |
| Sept. 5, 2135 | 6,368,149 | 9.157 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 29 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Distance Error (km) | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sept. 4, 2106 | 4,789.32 | ±1,685.25 | 0.00253 | 0.06007 |
| Sept. 5, 2106 | 3,447.54 | ±535.29 | 0.00101 | 0.05923 |
| Sept. 3, 2090 | 5,238.72 | ±722.57 | 0.00040 | 0.06331 |
| Sept. 4, 2078 | 2,266.26 | ±303.49 | 0.00036 | 0.05889 |
| Sept. 4, 2078 | 1,553.64 | ±440.75 | 0.00022 | 0.05884 |
| Sept. 4, 2074 | 2,368.98 | ±363.27 | 0.00014 | 0.05887 |
| Sept. 1, 2092 | 1,521.54 | ±579.79 | 0.00011 | 0.06069 |
| Sept. 3, 2090 | 1,457.34 | ±1,870.15 | 0.00007 | 0.06249 |
| Sept. 4, 2094 | 3,511.74 | ±339.30 | 0.00004 | 0.05885 |
| Sept. 2, 2093 | 2,773.44 | ±1,151.30 | 0.00003 | 0.06096 |
| Sept. 3, 2086 | 5,283.66 | ±406.47 | 0.00003 | 0.0588 |
| Sept. 4, 2107 | 3,999.66 | ±1,752.79 | 0.00002 | 0.06228 |
| Sept. 3, 2109 | 3,627.30 | ±380.82 | 0.00001 | 0.06217 |
| Sept. 1, 2093 | 5,534.04 | ±412.88 | 0.00001 | 0.06124 |
| Sept. 4, 2094 | 5,636.76 | ±428.00 | 0.00001 | 0.05864 |
| Sept. 3, 2071 | 4,044.60 | ±439.73 | 0.00001 | 0.05912 |
| Sept. 4, 2082 | 4,827.84 | ±1,793.30 | 0.00001 | 0.06103 |
| Sept. 4, 2102 | 5,887.14 | ±4,963.75 | 0.00001 | 0.06093 |
| Sept. 4, 2117 | 5,989.86 | ±1,405.59 | 0.00000 | 0.06201 |
| Sept. 4, 2091 | 6,188.88 | ±142.67 | 0.00000 | 0.05886 |
| Sept. 5, 2106 | 6,272.34 | ±1,573.80 | 0.00000 | 0.06185 |
| Sept. 2, 2093 | 6,439.26 | ±863.43 | 0.00000 | 0.06202 |
| Sept. 6, 2114 | 5,989.86 | ±1,588.95 | 0.00000 | 0.0622 |
| Sept. 3, 2109 | 8,545.02 | ±1,620.41 | 0.00000 | 0.06131 |
| Sept. 3, 2087 | 3,742.86 | ±605.29 | 0.00000 | 0.05824 |
| Sept. 4, 2101 | 5,662.44 | ±731.37 | 0.00000 | 0.06323 |
| Sept. 3, 2100 | 4,564.62 | ±763.08 | 0.00000 | 0.06326 |
| Sept. 3, 2091 | 6,253.08 | ±726.36 | 0.00000 | 0.0632 |
| Sept. 4, 2106 | 9,026.52 | ±1,216.33 | 0.00000 | 0.06066 |
2017 RZ15's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 15, 2017. It was last officially observed on Sept. 18, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 9 observations used to determine its orbit.
2017 RZ15 can be reached with a journey of 402 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.796 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 78,181 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2017 RZ15.
The position of 2017 RZ15 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.