Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 8,770,888 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
535844 (2015 BY310) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2015 BY310 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
2015 BY310 orbits the sun every 730 days (2.00 years), coming as close as 0.95 AU and reaching as far as 2.22 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2015 BY310 is probably between 0.073 to 0.327 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of 2015 BY310 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 0.09 hours.
Close Approaches
2015 BY310's orbit is 0.02 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.
2015 BY310 has 20 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 20, 2019 | 8,770,888 | 6.832 |
| March 10, 2021 | 5,429,656 | 7.321 |
| March 7, 2023 | 4,031,506 | 7.717 |
| March 5, 2025 | 3,672,675 | 7.860 |
| March 4, 2027 | 3,527,751 | 8.022 |
| March 2, 2029 | 3,781,265 | 8.344 |
| Feb. 25, 2031 | 7,855,208 | 9.412 |
| Feb. 19, 2033 | 17,129,625 | 11.376 |
| Feb. 14, 2035 | 28,020,282 | 13.593 |
| June 9, 2158 | 26,512,056 | 12.483 |
| June 2, 2160 | 17,348,068 | 10.155 |
| May 24, 2162 | 12,659,373 | 8.203 |
| May 9, 2164 | 12,668,234 | 6.925 |
| April 21, 2166 | 13,159,438 | 6.693 |
| March 31, 2168 | 11,163,705 | 6.696 |
| March 15, 2170 | 7,103,737 | 7.098 |
| March 7, 2172 | 4,091,366 | 7.872 |
| March 2, 2174 | 5,227,728 | 8.793 |
| Feb. 23, 2176 | 13,758,372 | 10.744 |
| Feb. 17, 2178 | 25,083,352 | 13.071 |
Images and Observations
2015 BY310's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 18, 2015. It was last officially observed on July 12, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 605 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2015 BY310 can be reached with a journey of 346 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.956 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 6 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2015 BY310.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2015 BY310:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.587 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4013
- Inclination: 4.8°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 328.46°
- Argument of Periapsis: 229.47°
- Mean Anomaly: 80.49°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.200 km
- Magnitude: 21.88
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 730 days (2.00 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.65 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.22 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.95 AU
- Rotation Period: 0.09 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 535844 (2015 BY310) 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 2015 BY310 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.
