List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2016
Time of discovery of asteroids which came closer to Earth than the Moon in 2016 |
Below is the list of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2016.
Timeline of known close approaches less than one Lunar distance from Earth in 2016
A list of known near-Earth asteroid close approaches less than 1 lunar distance (0.0025696 AU (384,410 km; 238,860 mi)) from Earth in 2016.[note 1]
For reference, the radius of Earth is approximately 0.0000426 AU (6,370 km; 3,960 mi) or 0.0166 Lunar distances.
The orbit of geosynchronous satellites, however, is 0.000282 AU (42,200 km; 26,200 mi) or 0.110 Lunar distances. This year, 6 (possibly 7) asteroids traveled nearer than this, most notably 2016 DY30, which approached a mere 1.25 Earth radii (8000 km) from the surface.
While most asteroids on this list are confirmed, well-observed unconfirmed objects with a 50% or greater chance of passing within 1 LD of the Earth are included as well.
This list does not include any of the 32 objects that collided with earth in 2016, none of which were discovered in advance, but were recorded by sensors designed to detect detonation of nuclear devices (of the 32 objects detected 4 had an impact energy greater than that of a 1 kiloton device).[1]
Rows highlighted red indicate objects which were not discovered until after closest approach
Rows highlighted yellow indicate objects discovered less than 24 hours before closest approach
Rows highlighted green indicate objects discovered more than one week before closest approach
Rows highlighted turquoise indicate objects discovered more than 7 weeks before closest approach
Rows highlighted blue indicate objects discovered more than one year before closest approach (i.e.
objects successfully cataloged on a previous orbit, rather than being detected during final approach)
Date of closest approach | Date discovered | Object | Nominal geocentric distance (AU)[note 2] | Nominal geocentric distance (LD) | Size (m) (approximate) | (H) | Closer approach to Moon |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016-01-10 | 2016-01-12 [2] | 2016 AQ164 | 0.000698 AU (104,400 km; 64,900 mi) | 0.27 | 2–7 | 29.9[3] | |
2016-01-12 | 2016-01-13 [4] | 2016 AH164 | 0.000178 AU (26,600 km; 16,500 mi) | 0.069 | 3–7 | 29.6[5] | |
2016-01-13 | 2016-01-14 [6] | 2016 AN165 | 0.00120 AU (180,000 km; 112,000 mi) | 0.47 | 5–18 | 27.6[7] | |
2016-01-14 | 2016-01-14 [8] | 2016 AN164 | 0.000247 AU (37,000 km; 23,000 mi) | 0.096 | 2–5 | 30.5[9] | |
2016-02-06 | 2016-02-03 [10] | 2016 CG18 | 0.00101 AU (151,000 km; 94,000 mi) | 0.39 | 3–16 | 28.5[11] | |
2016-02-10 | 2016-02-11 [12] | 2016 CW264 | 0.00141 AU (211,000 km; 131,000 mi) | 0.56 | 2–7 | 29.8[13] | |
2016-02-11 | 2016-??-?? | P10tI8h | 0.00176 AU (263,000 km; 164,000 mi) | 0.69 | 2–3 | 30.7 | ? |
2016-02-13 | 2016-02-12 [14] | 2016 CM194 | 0.000517 AU (77,300 km; 48,100 mi) | 0.20 | 7–21 | 27.5[15] | |
2016-02-15 | 2016-02-16 [16] | 2016 DB | 0.000828 AU (123,900 km; 77,000 mi) | 0.32 | 4–14 | 28.5[17] | |
2016-02-25 | 2016-02-26 [18] | 2016 DY30 | 0.0000957 AU (14,320 km; 8,900 mi) | 0.037 | 2–5 | 30.5[19] | |
2016-02-26 | 2016-02-27 [20] | 2016 DK2 | 0.00212 AU (317,000 km; 197,000 mi) | 0.83 | 3–11 | 29.1[21] | |
2016-02-29 | 2016-02-28 [22] | 2016 DA31 | 0.00133 AU (199,000 km; 124,000 mi) | 0.52 | 2–7 | 29.9[23] | Yes |
2016-03-03 | 2016-03-02 [24] | 2016 EK1 | 0.00135 AU (202,000 km; 125,000 mi) | 0.53 | 2–9 | 29.1[25] | Yes |
2016-03-04 | 2016-03-03 [26] | 2016 EL1 | 0.00154 AU (230,000 km; 143,000 mi) | 0.60 | 5–20 | 27.8[27] | |
2016-03-08 | 2016-03-07 [28] | 2016 EV28 | 0.00103 AU (154,000 km; 96,000 mi) | 0.40 | 4–10 | 28.3[29] | |
2016-03-10 | 2016-03-11 [30] | 2016 EN157 | 0.00216 AU (323,000 km; 201,000 mi) | 0.84 | 5–9 | 28.1[31] | |
2016-03-11 | 2016-03-15 [32] | 2016 EF195 | 0.000214 AU (32,000 km; 19,900 mi) | 0.082 | 16–31 | 25.6[33] | |
2016-03-14 | 2016-03-16 [34] | 2016 FC1 | 0.00112 AU (168,000 km; 104,000 mi) | 0.44 | 4–8 | 29.1[35] | |
2016-03-21 | 2016-03-31 [36] | 2016 FN56 | 0.00257 AU (384,000 km; 239,000 mi) | 0.9995[note 3] | 35–86 | 24.2[37] | Yes? |
2016-03-23 | 2016-03-30 [38] | 2016 FZ13 | 0.00252 AU (377,000 km; 234,000 mi) | 0.98 | 4–10 | 28.3[39] | Yes |
2016-03-25 | 2016-03-27 [40] | 2016 FU6 | 0.00120 AU (180,000 km; 112,000 mi) | 0.47 | 4–9 | 29.0[41] | |
2016-03-28 | 2016-03-31 [42] | 2016 FR60 aka BeUc1Ig [43] | 0.00256 AU (383,000 km; 238,000 mi) | 0.99 | 3–9 | 29.3 | ? |
2016-03-28 | 2016-03-31 [44] | 2016 FE15 | 0.00181 AU (271,000 km; 168,000 mi) | 0.70 | 4–12 | 28.8[45] | Yes |
2016-04-01 | 2016-04-02 [46] | 2016 GC252 aka XGB1CE8 [43] | 0.000336 AU (50,300 km; 31,200 mi) | 0.13 | 3–9 | 29.3 | ? |
2016-04-01 | 2016-04-05 [47] | 2016 GS134 | 0.00133 AU (199,000 km; 124,000 mi) | 0.52 | 5–13 | 27.9[48] | |
2016-04-04 | 2016-04-05 [49] | 2016 GN134 | 0.000382 AU (57,100 km; 35,500 mi) | 0.19 | 1–5 | 30.1[50] | |
2016-04-05 | 2016-03-30 [51] | 2016 FW13 | 0.00210 AU (314,000 km; 195,000 mi) | 0.82 | 2–7 | 29.4[52] | |
2016-04-06 | 2016-04-09 [53] | 2016 GO206 | 0.00222 AU (332,000 km; 206,000 mi) | 0.86 | 9–30 | 26.5 | |
2016-04-08 | 2016-04-06 [54] | 2016 GO134 | 0.00222 AU (332,000 km; 206,000 mi) | 0.86 | 5–18 | 27.3[55] | |
2016-05-05 | 2016-05-03 [56] | 2016 JS5 | 0.00136 AU (203,000 km; 126,000 mi) | 0.53 | 1–5 | 30.6[57] | |
2016-06-04 | 2016-06-10 [58] | 2016 LR51 | 0.00235 AU (352,000 km; 218,000 mi) | 0.91 | 7–24 | 27.4[59] | Yes |
2016-06-07 | 2016-06-04 [60] | 2016 LT1 | 0.000966 AU (144,500 km; 89,800 mi) | 0.38 | 3–10 | 29.0[61] | |
2016-06-09 | 2016-06-08 [62] | 2016 LP10 | 0.000479 AU (71,700 km; 44,500 mi) | 0.20 | 2–8 | 29.5[63] | |
2016-07-07 | 2016-07-09 [64] | 2016 NJ22 | 0.00191 AU (286,000 km; 178,000 mi) | 0.74 | 4–16 | 28.3[65] | |
2016-07-11 | 2016-07-09 [66] | 2016 NK22 | 0.00177 AU (265,000 km; 165,000 mi) | 0.69 | 3–12 | 28.9[67] | |
2016-08-09 | 2016-08-16 [68] (Unconfirmed) | DT16P09 | 0.000432 AU (64,600 km; 40,200 mi) | 0.17 | 1–3 | 32.9 | ? |
2016-08-28 | 2016-08-27 [69] | 2016 QA2 | 0.000579 AU (86,600 km; 53,800 mi) | 0.23 | 18–69 | 25.2[70] | |
2016-09-02 | 2016-09-04 [71] | 2016 RR1 | 0.000865 AU (129,400 km; 80,400 mi) | 0.34 | 7–19 | 27.7[72] | |
2016-09-03 | 2016-09-04 [73] | 2016 RS1 | 0.00127 AU (190,000 km; 118,000 mi) | 0.50 | 3–11 | 29.1[74] | |
2016-09-07 | 2016-09-05 [75] | 2016 RB1 | 0.000271 AU (40,500 km; 25,200 mi) | 0.11 | 6–18 | 27.8[76] | |
2016-09-11 | 2016-09-11 [77] | 2016 RN41 | 0.000159 AU (23,800 km; 14,800 mi) | 0.062 | 1–5 | 31.0[78] | |
2016-09-21 | 2016-09-22 [79] | 2016 SJ | 0.000998 AU (149,300 km; 92,800 mi) | 0.39 | 3–9 | 29.0[80] | |
2016-09-24 | 2016-09-26 [81] | 2016 SU2 | 0.00235 AU (352,000 km; 218,000 mi) | 0.91 | 6–19 | 27.8[82] | |
2016-09-25 | 2016-09-26 [83] | 2016 SA2 | 0.00205 AU (307,000 km; 191,000 mi) | 0.80 | 5–16 | 28.2[84] | |
2016-09-30 | 2016-10-01 [85] | 2016 TD | 0.00151 AU (226,000 km; 140,000 mi) | 0.59 | 5–16 | 28.2[86] | |
2016-10-03 | 2016-10-02 [87] | 2016 TH | 0.000858 AU (128,400 km; 79,800 mi) | 0.33 | 3–9 | 29.4[88] | |
2016-10-08 | 2016-10-09 [89] | 2016 TG94 | 0.00145 AU (217,000 km; 135,000 mi) | 0.56 | 3–8 | 29.7[90] | |
2016-10-10 | 2016-10-11 [91] | 2016 TS54 | 0.000502 AU (75,100 km; 46,700 mi) | 0.20 | 6–19 | 27.8[92] | |
2016-10-11 | 2016-10-09 [93] | 2016 TB19 | 0.00212 AU (317,000 km; 197,000 mi) | 0.82 | 4–11 | 28.9[94] | |
2016-10-14 | 2016-10-20 [68] (Unconfirmed) | XT9D939 | 0.00241 AU (361,000 km; 224,000 mi) | 0.94[note 4] | 7–20 | 27.7 | |
2016-10-17 | 2016-10-19 [95] | 2016 UD | 0.000485 AU (72,600 km; 45,100 mi) | 0.19 | 9–34 | 26.6[96] | |
2016-10-19 | 2016-11-06 [68] (Unconfirmed) | XUA7AB3 | 0.00233 AU (349,000 km; 217,000 mi) | 0.91[note 5] | 4–13 | 28.6 | |
2016-11-02 | 2016-11-01 [97] | 2016 VA | 0.000630 AU (94,200 km; 58,600 mi) | 0.24 | 6–27 | 27.3[98] | |
2016-11-05 | 2016-11-14 [68] (Unconfirmed) | XV88D4F | 0.000245 AU (36,700 km; 22,800 mi) | 0.095[note 6] | 2–7 | 30.0 | |
2016-11-07 | 2016-11-05 [99] | 2016 VB1 | 0.00179 AU (268,000 km; 166,000 mi) | 0.70 | 4–15 | 28.4[100] | |
2016-11-10 | 2016-11-11 [101] | 2016 VF18 | 0.000468 AU (70,000 km; 43,500 mi) | 0.18 | 2–8 | 29.9[102] | |
2016-11-17 | 2016-11-18 [103] | 2016 WT | 0.00129 AU (193,000 km; 120,000 mi) | 0.50 | 2–8 | 29.7[104] | |
2016-11-21 | 2016-11-23 [105] | 2016 WT3 | 0.00243 AU (364,000 km; 226,000 mi) | 0.94 | 4–13 | 28.6[106] | |
2016-11-25 | 2016-11-24 [107] | 2016 WW2 | 0.000894 AU (133,700 km; 83,100 mi) | 0.35 | 3–11 | 29.0[108] | |
2016-11-30 | 2016-12-01 [109] | 2016 XL23 | 0.000580 AU (86,800 km; 53,900 mi) | 0.23 | 3–10 | 29.3[110] |
Warning Times by Size
This sub-section visualizes the warning times of the close approaches listed in the above table, depending on the size of the asteroid. The sizes of the charts show the relative sizes of the asteroids to scale. For comparison, the approximate size of a person is also shown. This is based the absolute magnitude of each asteroid, an approximate measure of size based on brightness.
Abs Magnitude 30 and greater
(size of a person for comparison)