96177 (1984 BC)

Mid-sized Outer Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Outer Main-belt Asteroids » 96177 (1984 BC)

Key Facts

Overview

96177 (1984 BC) is a mid-sized asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1984 BC as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1984 BC orbits the sun every 2,390 days (6.54 years), coming as close as 1.63 AU and reaching as far as 5.36 AU from the sun. 1984 BC is about 3.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

1984 BC's spectral type D (Tholen) / None (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain .

No Close Approaches

1984 BC's orbit is 0.70 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

1984 BC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 30, 1984. It was last officially observed on June 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 526 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 1984 BC:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.497 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5336
  • Inclination: 21.35°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 129.43°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 43.63°
  • Mean Anomaly: 18.3°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.40000 km
  • Magnitude: 16.05
  • Spectral type (Tholen): D

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,390 days (6.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 15.92 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.36 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.63 AU
  • Approx. Composition: .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 96177 (1984 BC) 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 1984 BC 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.