is a dark, sub-kilometer asteroid and suspected extinct comet, classified as a near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group.
Description
is unusually dark for a near-Earth asteroid. It is possibly an extinct comet, but without the comet-like dust and gas cloud. It was first observed on 27 November 2016 by NEOWISE, the asteroid-and-comet-hunting portion of the Wide-Field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) mission. According to NEOWISE, this object could have cometary origins, which illustrates the blurry boundary between asteroids and comets. It is speculated that over time, this object has lost the majority of the volatiles on its surface.
is about across so is one of the larger potentially hazardous asteroid near-Earth object (also see list of largest PHAs).
2017 approach
passed Earth on 25 February 2017 at a distance of and is not considered a threat for the foreseeable future. The 2017 approach did not bring it particularly close to Earth. In December 1944 it passed about from Earth and in February 2149 it will pass about from Earth.
Discovery
When was first announced and had a short insignificant 3 day observation arc, it was estimated to have a 7.6 year orbital period. The preliminary orbit was also listed on the JPL Sentry Risk Table, but none of the virtual impact dates were before 2029. As the observation arc became longer and the orbital parameters better constrained, it was removed from the Sentry Risk Table on 20 December 2016. With a 111-day observation arc, it is now known that it has a 4.86 year orbital period and currently stays inside the orbit of Jupiter.
A simulation of 's dynamics over a period of 100 million days (~274,000 years) found that it had roughly a 60% chance of originating from the outer Solar System as a long-period comet.
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