Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field (0.23 km diameter)
- Will pass within 25,279,388 km of Earth in 2027
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
462238 (2008 CN1) is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2008 CN1 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2008 CN1 orbits the sun every 247 days (0.68 years), coming as close as 0.50 AU and reaching as far as 1.04 AU from the sun. 2008 CN1 is about 0.2 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of 2008 CN1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.06 hours.
Close Approaches
2008 CN1's orbit is 0.03 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.
2008 CN1 has 27 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 24, 2027 | 25,279,388 | 12.724 |
| March 17, 2029 | 8,795,087 | 8.112 |
| Feb. 15, 2031 | 6,075,464 | 7.409 |
| Jan. 30, 2033 | 14,738,518 | 10.640 |
| March 23, 2052 | 14,574,567 | 9.992 |
| March 3, 2054 | 7,801,913 | 7.351 |
| Feb. 4, 2056 | 5,780,677 | 8.338 |
| Jan. 31, 2058 | 25,470,608 | 13.141 |
| March 24, 2075 | 18,761,974 | 11.070 |
| March 8, 2077 | 8,052,871 | 7.463 |
| Feb. 6, 2079 | 5,033,953 | 8.040 |
| Jan. 30, 2081 | 24,080,721 | 12.813 |
| March 22, 2098 | 12,363,235 | 9.298 |
| Feb. 24, 2100 | 7,407,381 | 7.288 |
| Feb. 1, 2102 | 10,954,181 | 9.771 |
| March 25, 2119 | 18,426,560 | 10.960 |
| March 7, 2121 | 8,160,442 | 7.384 |
| Feb. 4, 2123 | 6,224,753 | 8.576 |
| March 25, 2140 | 18,861,617 | 11.058 |
| March 7, 2142 | 8,209,606 | 7.385 |
| Feb. 5, 2144 | 6,138,863 | 8.568 |
| March 25, 2161 | 17,760,312 | 10.751 |
| March 4, 2163 | 8,174,847 | 7.346 |
| Feb. 2, 2165 | 7,981,229 | 9.077 |
| March 21, 2182 | 10,414,069 | 8.516 |
| Feb. 16, 2184 | 5,910,564 | 7.436 |
| Jan. 31, 2186 | 18,262,911 | 11.529 |
Images and Observations
2008 CN1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 2, 2008. It was last officially observed on Feb. 25, 2016. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 568 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 2008 CN1:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.7707 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3477
- Inclination: 7.22°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 331.46°
- Argument of Periapsis: 7.26°
- Mean Anomaly: 163.57°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.22700 km
- Magnitude: 20.66
- Albedo: 0.197
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 247 days (0.68 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 33.95 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.04 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.50 AU
- Rotation Period: 6.06 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 462238 (2008 CN1) 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 2008 CN1 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.
