2011 GF3

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 26,052,349 km of Earth in 2024
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2011 GF3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2011 GF3 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.

2011 GF3 orbits the sun every 278 days (0.76 years), coming as close as 0.38 AU and reaching as far as 1.29 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2011 GF3 is probably between 0.084 to 0.188 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2011 GF3's orbit is 0.16 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.

2011 GF3 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2011 GF3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 2, 2011. It was last officially observed on April 11, 2011. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 13 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 2011 GF3:

• 2100 Ra-Shalom (1978 RA)
• 137805 (1999 YK5)
• 163899 (2003 SD220)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2011 GF3 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 2011 GF3 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.