434677 (2006 BZ7)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 434677 (2006 BZ7)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 25,647,249 km of Earth in 2087
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

434677 (2006 BZ7) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2006 BZ7 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2006 BZ7 orbits the sun every 664 days (1.82 years), coming as close as 0.94 AU and reaching as far as 2.04 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2006 BZ7 is probably between 0.852 to 1.906 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2006 BZ7'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.

2006 BZ7 has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Dec. 8, 2087 25,647,249 37.904
Dec. 11, 2107 20,814,745 37.782
Dec. 12, 2127 17,504,945 37.687
Dec. 12, 2147 16,484,518 37.666
Dec. 12, 2167 17,394,550 37.712
Dec. 11, 2187 20,630,346 37.788

Images and Observations

2006 BZ7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 23, 2006. It was last officially observed on July 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 201 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 2006 BZ7:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.49 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3665
  • Inclination: 68.42°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 262.95°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 188.78°
  • Mean Anomaly: 244.34°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.100 km
  • Magnitude: 17.47

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 664 days (1.82 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.41 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.04 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.94 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 434677 (2006 BZ7) 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2006 BZ7 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.