Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a football field
  • Will pass within 7,891,907 km of Earth in 2022
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2022 BJ is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2022 BJ as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2022 BJ orbits the sun every 1,350 days (3.70 years), coming as close as 0.48 AU and reaching as far as 4.31 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2022 BJ is probably between 0.136 to 0.303 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.

Close Approaches

2022 BJ'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.

2022 BJ has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Jan. 18, 2022 7,891,907 24.402
July 5, 2025 8,026,126 23.996
June 26, 2051 18,519,857 29.036
Jan. 26, 2100 16,964,333 28.597

Images and Observations

2022 BJ's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 20, 2022. It was last officially observed on Feb. 21, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 220 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 2022 BJ:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.394 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.8006
  • Inclination: 6.81°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 102.41°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 278.76°
  • Mean Anomaly: 171.92°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.175 km
  • Magnitude: 21.46

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,350 days (3.70 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.29 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.31 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.48 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2022 BJ 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 2022 BJ 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.