2021 BB is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2021 BB 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.
2021 BB orbits the sun every 329 days (0.90 years), coming as close as 0.82 AU and reaching as far as 1.04 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2021 BB is probably between 0.004 to 0.019 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2021 BB's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
2021 BB has 18 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 14, 2021 | 1,270,795 | 5.270 |
| July 11, 2021 | 23,333,899 | 5.918 |
| Jan. 14, 2030 | 1,795,801 | 5.424 |
| July 17, 2030 | 23,217,213 | 5.953 |
| May 20, 2040 | 19,866,943 | 5.494 |
| Jan. 12, 2049 | 15,339,607 | 7.527 |
| Aug. 7, 2049 | 26,884,796 | 6.224 |
| Feb. 4, 2059 | 14,841,836 | 4.563 |
| June 19, 2059 | 19,162,975 | 5.331 |
| Jan. 16, 2078 | 3,964,095 | 4.892 |
| July 6, 2078 | 21,974,064 | 5.767 |
| Jan. 13, 2087 | 22,884,602 | 8.891 |
| Aug. 16, 2087 | 28,622,163 | 6.308 |
| Jan. 13, 2115 | 6,977,211 | 6.155 |
| July 25, 2115 | 24,831,999 | 6.110 |
| Jan. 13, 2143 | 12,497,327 | 7.045 |
| May 11, 2153 | 22,893,279 | 6.361 |
| Jan. 13, 2171 | 12,905,541 | 7.130 |
2021 BB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 16, 2021. It was last officially observed on Jan. 16, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 27 observations used to determine its orbit.
2021 BB can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.349 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 150,165 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2021 BB.
The position of 2021 BB 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.