242191 (2003 NZ6) is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2003 NZ6 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.
2003 NZ6 orbits the sun every 258 days (0.71 years), coming as close as 0.40 AU and reaching as far as 1.18 AU from the sun. 2003 NZ6 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 NZ6 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 13.53 hours.
2003 NZ6's orbit is 0.07 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 NZ6 has 17 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
July 17, 2027 | 21,241,078 | 12.519 |
July 12, 2032 | 27,390,463 | 20.055 |
July 14, 2044 | 17,329,861 | 17.905 |
July 16, 2056 | 10,654,863 | 16.075 |
July 18, 2068 | 10,605,989 | 14.615 |
July 17, 2080 | 18,194,645 | 12.960 |
July 14, 2092 | 27,584,010 | 11.842 |
July 14, 2097 | 19,603,002 | 18.415 |
July 18, 2109 | 11,431,935 | 16.428 |
July 19, 2121 | 9,978,875 | 14.827 |
July 19, 2133 | 17,164,090 | 13.101 |
July 16, 2145 | 26,710,230 | 11.936 |
July 16, 2150 | 20,347,142 | 18.598 |
July 18, 2162 | 11,239,511 | 16.394 |
July 19, 2174 | 10,143,912 | 14.672 |
July 19, 2186 | 18,341,868 | 12.908 |
July 15, 2198 | 27,632,806 | 11.843 |
2003 NZ6's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 9, 2003. It was last officially observed on July 27, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 629 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 242191 (2003 NZ6) 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2003 NZ6 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.