154007 (2002 BY)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 26,739,014 km of Earth in 2061
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

154007 (2002 BY) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2002 BY 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.

2002 BY orbits the sun every 895 days (2.45 years), coming as close as 1.19 AU and reaching as far as 2.45 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2002 BY is probably between 0.629 to 1.406 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.

The rotation of 2002 BY has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 14.91 hours.

Close Approaches

2002 BY's orbit is 0.18 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.

2002 BY has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2002 BY's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 8, 2002. It was last officially observed on Oct. 29, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 794 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 2002 BY:

• 3309 Brorfelde (1982 BH)
• 4055 Magellan (1985 DO2)
• 5641 McCleese (1990 DJ)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 154007 (2002 BY) 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 2002 BY 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.