Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 27,532,666 km of Earth in 2020
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2023 EF is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 EF 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 EF orbits the sun every 362 days (0.99 years), coming as close as 0.81 AU and reaching as far as 1.17 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 EF is probably between 0.010 to 0.045 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2023 EF's orbit is 0.03 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 EF has 26 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 20, 2020 | 27,532,666 | 10.871 |
| Feb. 17, 2021 | 16,847,576 | 8.721 |
| Feb. 16, 2022 | 7,337,177 | 6.707 |
| Feb. 16, 2023 | 5,143,376 | 5.118 |
| Feb. 26, 2024 | 12,417,384 | 4.073 |
| Dec. 28, 2024 | 22,786,218 | 3.879 |
| March 17, 2025 | 19,146,058 | 4.353 |
| Dec. 4, 2025 | 26,442,272 | 5.214 |
| April 4, 2026 | 23,569,983 | 4.713 |
| Nov. 15, 2026 | 28,003,558 | 5.855 |
| April 20, 2027 | 26,125,886 | 4.860 |
| Oct. 30, 2027 | 28,089,788 | 6.081 |
| May 5, 2028 | 26,970,046 | 4.786 |
| Oct. 13, 2028 | 26,931,012 | 5.977 |
| May 22, 2029 | 26,155,251 | 4.467 |
| Sept. 26, 2029 | 24,528,916 | 5.564 |
| June 12, 2030 | 23,319,812 | 3.765 |
| Sept. 7, 2030 | 20,717,618 | 4.846 |
| Aug. 14, 2031 | 15,157,936 | 4.091 |
| July 28, 2032 | 9,622,889 | 4.913 |
| July 22, 2033 | 10,629,373 | 6.568 |
| July 18, 2034 | 18,273,511 | 8.487 |
| July 14, 2035 | 28,186,449 | 10.566 |
| Feb. 19, 2101 | 20,943,238 | 9.528 |
| Feb. 17, 2102 | 10,241,596 | 7.365 |
| Feb. 17, 2103 | 4,156,900 | 5.563 |
Images and Observations
2023 EF's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 1, 2023. It was last officially observed on March 18, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 32 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2023 EF can be reached with a journey of 386 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 6.553 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 1,207,575 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2023 EF.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2023 EF:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9933 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1809
- Inclination: 4.67°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 346.13°
- Argument of Periapsis: 58.5°
- Mean Anomaly: 290.47°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.028 km
- Magnitude: 26.2
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 362 days (0.99 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.85 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.17 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.81 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2023 EF 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 EF 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.
