Key Facts
- Categorized as a Encke-type Comet
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.56 km diameter)
- Not a Near Earth Object
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
87P/Bus is a small comet whose orbit brings it closer to the sun than Jupiter. NASA JPL has not classified 87P/Bus as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
87P/Bus orbits the sun every 2,330 days (6.38 years), coming as close as 2.10 AU and reaching as far as 4.78 AU from the sun. 87P/Bus is about 0.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
No Close Approaches
87P/Bus's orbit is 1.10 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.
Images and Observations
87P/Bus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 13, 1999. It was last officially observed on Sept. 5, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 667 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
This comet 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 87P/Bus:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2457467.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 3.441 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3893
- Inclination: 2.6°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 181.89°
- Argument of Periapsis: 24.76°
- Mean Anomaly: 126.79°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.56000 km
- Magnitude: 12.7
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 2,330 days (6.38 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.07 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 4.78 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 2.10 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 87P/Bus 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 87P/Bus 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.
