Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 9,363,552 km of Earth in 2023
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2023 HB7 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 HB7 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 HB7 orbits the sun every 340 days (0.93 years), coming as close as 0.78 AU and reaching as far as 1.13 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 HB7 is probably between 0.016 to 0.069 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2023 HB7'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.
2023 HB7 has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 4, 2023 | 9,363,552 | 3.426 |
| Aug. 5, 2024 | 5,608,003 | 6.067 |
| March 28, 2036 | 3,385,200 | 5.039 |
| Aug. 4, 2037 | 2,491,480 | 4.524 |
Images and Observations
2023 HB7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 28, 2023. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 33 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2023 HB7 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 5.174 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 688,736 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2023 HB7.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2023 HB7:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9538 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1855
- Inclination: 1.54°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 130.61°
- Argument of Periapsis: 302.08°
- Mean Anomaly: 276.19°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.043 km
- Magnitude: 25.25
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 340 days (0.93 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.52 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.13 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.78 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2023 HB7 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 HB7 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.
