Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 20,871,075 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2023 BM4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 BM4 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.
2023 BM4 orbits the sun every 353 days (0.97 years), coming as close as 0.78 AU and reaching as far as 1.18 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 BM4 is probably between 0.033 to 0.146 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2023 BM4's orbit is 0.02 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.
2023 BM4 has 40 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 9, 2022 | 20,871,075 | 10.438 |
| Jan. 8, 2023 | 11,111,005 | 4.261 |
| March 3, 2024 | 26,446,537 | 5.401 |
| April 13, 2025 | 24,634,510 | 5.084 |
| July 31, 2025 | 28,482,291 | 5.629 |
| May 30, 2026 | 4,690,310 | 5.659 |
| May 25, 2027 | 26,741,281 | 11.523 |
| Jan. 9, 2051 | 19,397,560 | 10.091 |
| Jan. 12, 2052 | 12,973,746 | 4.046 |
| March 7, 2053 | 26,683,699 | 5.420 |
| April 19, 2054 | 23,202,774 | 4.883 |
| July 24, 2054 | 26,779,983 | 5.123 |
| May 30, 2055 | 3,874,367 | 6.520 |
| Jan. 10, 2078 | 21,831,864 | 10.605 |
| Jan. 11, 2079 | 12,146,529 | 4.138 |
| March 9, 2080 | 26,635,500 | 5.430 |
| April 24, 2081 | 21,933,373 | 4.721 |
| July 17, 2081 | 25,361,823 | 4.671 |
| May 29, 2082 | 6,994,113 | 7.410 |
| Jan. 11, 2104 | 16,520,068 | 9.493 |
| March 22, 2106 | 26,823,304 | 5.453 |
| May 27, 2108 | 18,564,837 | 9.826 |
| Jan. 8, 2130 | 5,211,924 | 6.931 |
| Nov. 13, 2130 | 26,687,466 | 5.398 |
| Feb. 18, 2131 | 23,169,285 | 4.975 |
| April 3, 2132 | 26,091,262 | 5.317 |
| May 30, 2133 | 8,968,193 | 4.672 |
| May 27, 2134 | 24,067,254 | 10.930 |
| Jan. 11, 2157 | 23,649,967 | 10.996 |
| Jan. 9, 2158 | 9,573,599 | 4.519 |
| March 7, 2159 | 26,201,799 | 5.374 |
| April 19, 2160 | 23,345,537 | 4.909 |
| July 26, 2160 | 27,026,225 | 5.187 |
| May 31, 2161 | 4,374,663 | 6.638 |
| Jan. 13, 2183 | 24,495,374 | 11.141 |
| Jan. 13, 2184 | 11,448,099 | 4.225 |
| March 13, 2185 | 26,474,343 | 5.425 |
| May 4, 2186 | 19,512,359 | 4.417 |
| July 5, 2186 | 22,473,108 | 3.678 |
| May 29, 2187 | 13,409,148 | 8.759 |
Images and Observations
2023 BM4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 26, 2023. It was last officially observed on Feb. 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 86 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2023 BM4 can be reached with a journey of 450 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.423 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 485,352 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2023 BM4.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2023 BM4:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9776 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2062
- Inclination: 1.54°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 187.82°
- Argument of Periapsis: 173.49°
- Mean Anomaly: 339.19°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.090 km
- Magnitude: 23.63
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 353 days (0.97 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.13 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.18 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.78 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2023 BM4 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 2023 BM4 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.
