206378 (2003 RB)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building (0.38 km diameter)
• Will pass within 20,201,118 km of Earth in 2058
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

206378 (2003 RB) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 RB as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2003 RB orbits the sun every 873 days (2.39 years), coming as close as 1.00 AU and reaching as far as 2.57 AU from the sun. 2003 RB is about 0.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

The rotation of 2003 RB has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 37.50 hours.

Close Approaches

2003 RB's orbit is 0.04 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.

2003 RB has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2003 RB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 13, 2002. It was last officially observed on June 6, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,420 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 2003 RB:

• 3635 Kreutz (1981 WO1)
• 5653 Camarillo (1992 WD5)
• 5660 (1974 MA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 206378 (2003 RB) 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 2003 RB 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.