66253 (1999 GT3)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 29,799,075 km of Earth in 2076
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

66253 (1999 GT3) is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1999 GT3 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

1999 GT3 orbits the sun every 563 days (1.54 years), coming as close as 0.22 AU and reaching as far as 2.45 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1999 GT3 is probably between 0.555 to 1.242 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

1999 GT3's orbit is 0.19 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.

1999 GT3 has 1 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1999 GT3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 9, 1999. It was last officially observed on July 6, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 434 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 1999 GT3:

• 8035 (1992 TB)
• 13651 (1997 BR)
• 15817 Lucianotesi (1994 QC)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 66253 (1999 GT3) 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 1999 GT3 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.