Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
- Will pass within 15,531,548 km of Earth in 2036
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
2016 TQ11 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2016 TQ11 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.
2016 TQ11 orbits the sun every 383 days (1.05 years), coming as close as 0.86 AU and reaching as far as 1.21 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2016 TQ11 is probably between 0.013 to 0.056 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.
Close Approaches
2016 TQ11's orbit is 0.04 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.
2016 TQ11 has 29 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 15, 2036 | 15,531,548 | 4.639 |
| July 15, 2037 | 25,090,629 | 4.936 |
| Oct. 27, 2037 | 25,403,552 | 4.812 |
| Sept. 24, 2038 | 17,066,189 | 8.911 |
| March 23, 2057 | 6,354,324 | 5.700 |
| June 19, 2058 | 26,125,334 | 5.588 |
| Sept. 22, 2059 | 7,617,653 | 6.661 |
| April 5, 2078 | 12,018,242 | 4.637 |
| July 11, 2079 | 25,346,464 | 5.077 |
| Oct. 29, 2079 | 26,254,399 | 4.905 |
| Sept. 23, 2080 | 17,516,213 | 9.013 |
| March 17, 2098 | 10,925,691 | 7.723 |
| June 1, 2099 | 24,864,938 | 5.628 |
| Sept. 22, 2100 | 8,238,911 | 5.167 |
| March 20, 2119 | 8,254,880 | 7.079 |
| June 5, 2120 | 25,313,577 | 5.646 |
| Sept. 23, 2121 | 8,254,943 | 5.158 |
| April 2, 2141 | 10,943,365 | 4.726 |
| July 4, 2142 | 26,001,034 | 5.308 |
| Nov. 5, 2142 | 27,970,216 | 5.062 |
| Sept. 24, 2143 | 12,209,441 | 7.892 |
| March 26, 2162 | 6,621,397 | 5.520 |
| June 25, 2163 | 26,174,030 | 5.489 |
| Nov. 11, 2163 | 29,871,910 | 5.241 |
| Sept. 22, 2164 | 9,619,946 | 7.287 |
| March 13, 2182 | 23,444,592 | 10.301 |
| Feb. 19, 2183 | 26,445,027 | 3.541 |
| May 8, 2183 | 20,612,517 | 5.136 |
| Oct. 5, 2184 | 17,351,522 | 4.206 |
Images and Observations
2016 TQ11's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 6, 2016. It was last officially observed on Nov. 5, 2016. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 41 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
2016 TQ11 can be reached with a journey of 378 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 7.119 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 166,251 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for 2016 TQ11.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of 2016 TQ11:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.032 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1688
- Inclination: 5.23°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 205.03°
- Argument of Periapsis: 57.52°
- Mean Anomaly: 312.72°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.035 km
- Magnitude: 25.7
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 383 days (1.05 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.31 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.21 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.86 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 2016 TQ11 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 2016 TQ11 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.
