55760 (1992 BL1)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Mars-crossing Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay
• Not a Near Earth Object
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

55760 (1992 BL1) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1992 BL1 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1992 BL1 orbits the sun every 1,340 days (3.67 years), coming as close as 1.56 AU and reaching as far as 3.19 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1992 BL1 is probably between 5.683 to 12.707 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1992 BL1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 8.08 hours.

No Close Approaches

1992 BL1's orbit is 0.71 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1992 BL1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 3, 1981. It was last officially observed on July 1, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,666 observations used to determine its orbit.

Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:

View asteroid 55760 (1992 BL1) in 3D.

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 1992 BL1:

• 30 Urania (A854 OA)
• 51 Nemausa (A858 BA)
• 105 Artemis (A868 SA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 55760 (1992 BL1) 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.