Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a basketball court
- Will pass within 17,640,406 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2020 BS11 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 BS11 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.
2020 BS11 orbits the sun every 444 days (1.22 years), coming as close as 0.89 AU and reaching as far as 1.39 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 BS11 is probably between 0.050 to 0.224 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a basketball court.
Close Approaches
2020 BS11's orbit is 0.01 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.
2020 BS11 has 20 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 29, 2020 | 17,640,406 | 5.995 |
| Aug. 10, 2026 | 27,884,497 | 11.489 |
| May 10, 2037 | 26,837,964 | 6.016 |
| Feb. 27, 2048 | 18,781,007 | 11.010 |
| Aug. 12, 2054 | 21,878,978 | 5.693 |
| March 2, 2065 | 8,285,304 | 9.163 |
| Aug. 10, 2071 | 19,957,184 | 5.879 |
| Feb. 26, 2082 | 20,311,582 | 11.294 |
| May 20, 2088 | 27,687,892 | 5.793 |
| April 4, 2105 | 19,344,094 | 5.988 |
| Aug. 10, 2111 | 21,429,370 | 10.046 |
| March 17, 2122 | 10,801,594 | 6.387 |
| Aug. 9, 2128 | 18,784,363 | 9.291 |
| March 30, 2139 | 17,328,100 | 5.962 |
| Aug. 11, 2145 | 26,887,860 | 11.305 |
| May 10, 2156 | 26,735,403 | 6.026 |
| Feb. 28, 2167 | 18,934,581 | 11.044 |
| Aug. 13, 2173 | 21,960,612 | 5.687 |
| March 3, 2184 | 8,814,483 | 9.272 |
| Aug. 12, 2190 | 20,412,718 | 5.816 |
Images and Observations
2020 BS11's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 26, 2020. It was last officially observed on Sept. 26, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 57 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2020 BS11 can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 9.927 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 674 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 BS11.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2020 BS11:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.139 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2196
- Inclination: 8.87°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 349.59°
- Argument of Periapsis: 239.79°
- Mean Anomaly: 273.9°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.137 km
- Magnitude: 22.7
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 444 days (1.22 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.91 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.39 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.89 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2020 BS11 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 2020 BS11 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.
