2007 FT3

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building
• Will pass within 28,602,997 km of Earth in 2067
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2007 FT3 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2007 FT3 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

2007 FT3 orbits the sun every 439 days (1.20 years), coming as close as 0.78 AU and reaching as far as 1.48 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2007 FT3 is probably between 0.266 to 0.594 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 90% of asteroids but tiny compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Capitol building.

Close Approaches

2007 FT3's orbit is 0.01 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.

2007 FT3 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

NASA Sentry has assessed impact risk for 89 very close approach scenarios. Here are the top scenarios ordered by probability of impact:

Images and Observations

2007 FT3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 20, 2007. It was last officially observed on March 21, 2007. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 14 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 2007 FT3:

• 7822 (1991 CS)
• 35107 (1991 VH)
• 101955 Bennu (1999 RQ36)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2007 FT3 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 2007 FT3 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.