2014 AF16

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Will pass within 3,437,543 km of Earth in 2026
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2014 AF16 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2014 AF16 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.

2014 AF16 orbits the sun every 877 days (2.40 years), coming as close as 0.93 AU and reaching as far as 2.66 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2014 AF16 is probably between 0.025 to 0.057 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

Close Approaches

2014 AF16's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is very close to Earth's orbit.

2014 AF16 has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

2014 AF16's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 3, 2014. It was last officially observed on April 4, 2014. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 63 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 2014 AF16:

• 2074 Shoemaker (1974 UA)
• 3635 Kreutz (1981 WO1)
• 5653 Camarillo (1992 WD5)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2014 AF16 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 2014 AF16 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.