Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
  • Will pass within 22,418,581 km of Earth in 2020
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

2023 DK1 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 DK1 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 DK1 orbits the sun every 277 days (0.76 years), coming as close as 0.59 AU and reaching as far as 1.07 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 DK1 is probably between 0.011 to 0.025 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2023 DK1'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 DK1 has 25 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 4, 2020 22,418,581 13.329
March 2, 2023 3,509,135 9.195
Feb. 7, 2026 20,549,940 8.075
Jan. 1, 2029 29,230,346 8.729
March 4, 2045 18,653,948 12.596
Feb. 28, 2048 7,017,285 8.644
March 4, 2070 4,569,362 9.908
Feb. 14, 2073 17,032,211 8.092
Jan. 11, 2076 27,305,268 8.249
March 3, 2092 29,631,777 14.793
March 4, 2095 4,972,827 9.985
Feb. 17, 2098 15,654,373 8.108
March 5, 2120 17,907,305 12.430
March 1, 2123 5,813,583 8.807
Feb. 4, 2126 21,860,500 8.090
Dec. 31, 2128 29,787,406 9.133
March 5, 2145 19,148,118 12.664
Feb. 29, 2148 6,395,321 8.721
Feb. 1, 2151 22,728,206 8.092
March 6, 2170 8,927,646 10.713
Feb. 20, 2173 14,055,475 8.156
Jan. 18, 2176 26,074,184 8.169
March 4, 2192 29,059,181 14.652
March 5, 2195 4,404,064 9.801
Feb. 15, 2198 16,836,554 8.100

Images and Observations

2023 DK1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 28, 2023. It was last officially observed on March 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 36 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 2023 DK1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 0.831 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2923
  • Inclination: 12.36°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 338.02°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 330.71°
  • Mean Anomaly: 126.92°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.015 km
  • Magnitude: 26.86

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 277 days (0.76 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 32.64 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 1.07 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.59 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2023 DK1 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.