Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 3,172,585 km of Earth in 2023
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2023 CL2 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 CL2 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 CL2 orbits the sun every 354 days (0.97 years), coming as close as 0.83 AU and reaching as far as 1.13 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 CL2 is probably between 0.018 to 0.083 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2023 CL2'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.
2023 CL2 has 27 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 31, 2023 | 3,172,585 | 4.991 |
| Nov. 28, 2023 | 21,029,459 | 4.196 |
| March 25, 2024 | 17,521,787 | 3.722 |
| Oct. 6, 2024 | 24,705,120 | 5.130 |
| May 25, 2025 | 14,695,623 | 3.211 |
| Aug. 6, 2025 | 16,683,619 | 2.940 |
| June 26, 2026 | 11,427,073 | 6.554 |
| Feb. 3, 2053 | 19,725,535 | 8.382 |
| Feb. 10, 2054 | 9,324,193 | 2.926 |
| Nov. 2, 2054 | 24,260,613 | 5.025 |
| April 21, 2055 | 18,458,161 | 3.832 |
| Sept. 11, 2055 | 22,740,607 | 4.560 |
| June 27, 2056 | 3,469,247 | 3.998 |
| June 21, 2057 | 25,930,935 | 9.479 |
| Feb. 3, 2084 | 23,340,109 | 9.116 |
| Jan. 31, 2085 | 5,402,473 | 3.408 |
| Nov. 7, 2085 | 23,666,542 | 4.871 |
| April 12, 2086 | 18,544,626 | 3.869 |
| Sept. 16, 2086 | 23,567,229 | 4.776 |
| June 25, 2087 | 5,870,838 | 3.413 |
| June 20, 2088 | 23,291,213 | 8.942 |
| Jan. 31, 2115 | 12,411,595 | 6.895 |
| June 26, 2118 | 3,427,548 | 4.763 |
| Feb. 3, 2143 | 17,867,250 | 7.982 |
| June 25, 2146 | 9,127,298 | 6.080 |
| Feb. 1, 2170 | 7,418,351 | 5.865 |
| June 23, 2173 | 17,314,563 | 7.727 |
Images and Observations
2023 CL2's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 13, 2023. It was last officially observed on Feb. 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 62 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2023 CL2 can be reached with a journey of 362 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 4.829 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 1,047,866 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2023 CL2.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2023 CL2:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9794 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1517
- Inclination: 1.19°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 158.59°
- Argument of Periapsis: 230.79°
- Mean Anomaly: 311.47°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.051 km
- Magnitude: 24.87
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 354 days (0.97 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.10 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.13 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.83 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2023 CL2 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 CL2 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.
