Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 24,768,749 km of Earth in 2023
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
216523 (2001 HY7) is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2001 HY7 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2001 HY7 orbits the sun every 319 days (0.87 years), coming as close as 0.54 AU and reaching as far as 1.29 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2001 HY7 is probably between 0.193 to 0.431 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of 2001 HY7 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.04 hours.
Close Approaches
2001 HY7'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.
2001 HY7 has 29 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| July 7, 2023 | 24,768,749 | 15.873 |
| March 28, 2035 | 25,081,671 | 16.778 |
| March 25, 2042 | 14,097,405 | 14.454 |
| March 24, 2049 | 7,100,015 | 12.766 |
| March 23, 2056 | 5,208,262 | 11.846 |
| March 24, 2063 | 6,115,125 | 11.214 |
| March 24, 2070 | 9,591,153 | 10.343 |
| March 26, 2077 | 16,147,130 | 9.265 |
| June 27, 2078 | 29,608,525 | 8.360 |
| March 31, 2084 | 22,561,723 | 8.716 |
| July 5, 2085 | 24,273,307 | 8.482 |
| April 9, 2091 | 28,904,198 | 8.718 |
| July 10, 2092 | 18,183,073 | 9.522 |
| July 11, 2099 | 14,518,388 | 10.925 |
| July 12, 2106 | 14,664,699 | 12.603 |
| July 10, 2113 | 19,935,592 | 14.575 |
| July 7, 2120 | 28,967,394 | 16.829 |
| March 27, 2132 | 20,315,221 | 15.798 |
| March 26, 2139 | 10,588,597 | 13.677 |
| March 25, 2146 | 5,633,271 | 12.344 |
| March 24, 2153 | 5,016,501 | 11.769 |
| March 24, 2160 | 5,164,945 | 11.582 |
| March 25, 2167 | 6,122,672 | 11.175 |
| March 25, 2174 | 9,043,550 | 10.430 |
| March 26, 2181 | 14,630,162 | 9.458 |
| March 31, 2188 | 21,497,352 | 8.778 |
| July 5, 2189 | 25,515,291 | 8.408 |
| April 8, 2195 | 27,354,826 | 8.697 |
| July 11, 2196 | 19,896,473 | 9.170 |
Images and Observations
2001 HY7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 15, 2001. It was last officially observed on June 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 350 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 2001 HY7:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9137 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4122
- Inclination: 5.21°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 205.05°
- Argument of Periapsis: 211.32°
- Mean Anomaly: 358.58°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.249 km
- Magnitude: 20.7
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 319 days (0.87 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 31.16 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.29 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.54 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.04 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 216523 (2001 HY7) 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 2001 HY7 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.
