2020 DX1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2020 DX1 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 DX1 orbits the sun every 362 days (0.99 years), coming as close as 0.85 AU and reaching as far as 1.13 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2020 DX1 is probably between 0.009 to 0.039 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2020 DX1'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.
2020 DX1 has 16 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 14, 2019 | 10,303,162 | 7.896 |
| Feb. 16, 2020 | 6,455,587 | 6.926 |
| Feb. 19, 2021 | 10,225,839 | 6.373 |
| Feb. 27, 2022 | 16,810,788 | 6.163 |
| March 10, 2023 | 23,422,783 | 6.140 |
| March 23, 2024 | 29,130,987 | 6.029 |
| Sept. 26, 2024 | 26,217,976 | 6.749 |
| Sept. 11, 2025 | 21,340,636 | 6.805 |
| Aug. 29, 2026 | 16,511,439 | 6.818 |
| Aug. 18, 2027 | 13,141,365 | 7.010 |
| Aug. 7, 2028 | 13,510,286 | 7.530 |
| July 30, 2029 | 18,212,745 | 8.447 |
| July 23, 2030 | 25,605,737 | 9.735 |
| Feb. 16, 2104 | 25,690,070 | 10.489 |
| Feb. 14, 2105 | 16,304,937 | 8.890 |
| Feb. 15, 2106 | 8,646,509 | 7.611 |
2020 DX1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 18, 2020. It was last officially observed on March 1, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 33 observations used to determine its orbit.
2020 DX1 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.72 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 89,676 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2020 DX1.
The position of 2020 DX1 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.