2023 KH4 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2023 KH4 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 KH4 orbits the sun every 274 days (0.75 years), coming as close as 0.56 AU and reaching as far as 1.09 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2023 KH4 is probably between 0.007 to 0.031 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
2023 KH4'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 KH4 has 10 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 21, 2020 | 15,074,869 | 11.004 |
| May 23, 2023 | 861,100 | 8.329 |
| May 24, 2026 | 2,100,756 | 7.898 |
| June 1, 2029 | 9,767,506 | 6.911 |
| June 16, 2032 | 15,795,181 | 6.703 |
| July 31, 2041 | 22,668,508 | 9.227 |
| May 24, 2070 | 28,466,763 | 13.725 |
| May 22, 2073 | 15,877,712 | 11.181 |
| May 21, 2076 | 4,836,549 | 9.035 |
| May 24, 2079 | 2,230,286 | 7.876 |
2023 KH4's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 26, 2023. It was last officially observed on May 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 23 observations used to determine its orbit.
2023 KH4 can be reached with a journey of 354 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 10.086 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 1,040 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2023 KH4.
The position of 2023 KH4 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.