2017 GA8

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to a school bus or smaller
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2017 GA8 is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2017 GA8 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.

2017 GA8 orbits the sun every 422 days (1.16 years), coming as close as 0.75 AU and reaching as far as 1.45 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2017 GA8 is probably between 0.037 to 0.082 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a school bus or smaller.

No Close Approaches

2017 GA8's orbit is 0.06 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2017 GA8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 15, 2017. It was last officially observed on April 18, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 29 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 2017 GA8:

• 22099 (2000 EX106)
• 55408 (2001 TC2)
• 137099 (1998 YW3)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2017 GA8 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 2017 GA8 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.