Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
  • Will pass within 26,260,825 km of Earth in 2019
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

606441 (2017 YT5) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2017 YT5 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2017 YT5 orbits the sun every 879 days (2.41 years), coming as close as 1.04 AU and reaching as far as 2.55 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 YT5 is probably between 0.404 to 0.904 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

2017 YT5'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.

2017 YT5 has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Aug. 14, 2019 26,260,825 20.546
Aug. 2, 2072 15,005,560 21.157
Aug. 10, 2084 14,406,161 20.449
Aug. 6, 2149 7,010,170 20.789
Aug. 13, 2161 20,702,528 20.437

Images and Observations

2017 YT5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 30, 2011. It was last officially observed on Jan. 22, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 239 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 2017 YT5:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.796 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4192
  • Inclination: 36.47°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 133.54°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 197.02°
  • Mean Anomaly: 243.09°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~0.522 km
  • Magnitude: 19.09

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 879 days (2.41 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.23 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.55 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.04 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 606441 (2017 YT5) 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 2017 YT5 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.