2023 HK3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 HK3 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 HK3 orbits the sun every 544 days (1.49 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 1.66 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 HK3 is probably between 0.004 to 0.020 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2023 HK3'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 HK3 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 19, 2020 | 9,872,097 | 8.063 |
| April 27, 2023 | 1,630,776 | 6.358 |
| April 14, 2026 | 19,010,346 | 9.901 |
NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 2 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:
| Date | Probability of Impact (%) | Impact Energy (Mt) |
|---|---|---|
| July 29, 2122 | 0.00002 | 0.01757 |
| July 30, 2110 | 0.00000 | 0.0175 |
2023 HK3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 21, 2023. It was last officially observed on April 25, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 26 observations used to determine its orbit.
2023 HK3 can be reached with a journey of 298 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 8.467 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 45,118 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2023 HK3.
The position of 2023 HK3 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.