355046 (2006 SO19) is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2006 SO19 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.
2006 SO19 orbits the sun every 506 days (1.39 years), coming as close as 0.90 AU and reaching as far as 1.58 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2006 SO19 is probably between 0.318 to 0.711 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.
2006 SO19's orbit is 0.11 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.
2006 SO19 has 11 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
July 31, 2024 | 23,174,197 | 10.940 |
Aug. 5, 2042 | 25,662,955 | 11.311 |
May 20, 2049 | 27,813,551 | 10.275 |
May 30, 2067 | 24,613,052 | 10.113 |
June 7, 2085 | 21,634,754 | 10.024 |
June 13, 2103 | 20,300,781 | 9.992 |
June 11, 2121 | 20,766,787 | 10.002 |
June 4, 2139 | 23,163,475 | 10.068 |
May 23, 2157 | 27,301,596 | 10.276 |
Aug. 2, 2168 | 23,743,924 | 10.949 |
July 19, 2186 | 17,829,088 | 10.199 |
2006 SO19's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 8, 2002. It was last officially observed on Jan. 3, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 123 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 355046 (2006 SO19) 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2006 SO19 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.