List of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2017
| Time of discovery of asteroids which came closer to Earth than the Moon in 2017 |
Below is the list of asteroid close approaches to Earth in 2017.
Timeline of known close approaches less than one lunar distance from Earth in 2017
A list of known near-Earth asteroid close approaches less than 1 lunar distance from Earth in 2017.For reference, the radius of Earth is approximately or 0.0166 lunar distances.
Geosynchronous satellites have an orbit with semi-major axis length of or 0.110 lunar distances. In 2017, five known asteroids have traveled nearer than this, 2017 GM, 2017 UJ2, YU95BEF, 2017 EA, and 2017 WE30. P10ELNY and A104Vqx probably have traveled nearer, but knowledge of their orbits is too poor to be sure.
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 29 objects that collided with earth in 2017, none of which were discovered in advance, but were recorded by sensors designed to detect detonation of nuclear devices.
| Date of closest approach | Date discovered | Object | Nominal geocentric distance | Nominal geocentric | Size | Closer to Moon? | |
| 2017-01-09 | 2017-01-07 | 0.54 | 13–41 | 26.1 | |||
| 2017-01-25 | 2017-01-20 | 2017 BX | 0.69 | 5–18 | 28.0 | ||
| 2017-01-30 | 2017-01-29 | 0.13 | 4–12 | 28.8 | |||
| 2017-02-02 | 2017-01-30 | 0.42 | 7–24 | 27.3 | |||
| 2017-02-23 | 2017-02-21 | 0.36 | 3–9 | 29.3 | Yes | ||
| 2017-02-25 | 2017-02-22 | 0.58 | 3–11 | 29.1 | |||
| 2017-03-02 | 2017-03-02 | 2017 EA | 0.054 | 1–5 | 30.8 | ||
| 2017-03-05 | 2017-02-27 | 0.92 | 13–43 | 25.9 | |||
| 2017-03-17 | 2017-03-19 | 0.47 | 6–20 | 27.7 | |||
| 2017-03-17 | 2017-03-19 | 0.32 | 5–14 | 28.4 | |||
| 2017-03-19 | 2017-03-17 | 2017 FS | 0.28 | 3–11 | 29.0 | ||
| 2017-03-20 | 2017-03-21 | 0.71 | 3–11 | 29.0 | |||
| 2017-03-20 | 2017-03-20 | 0.16 | 2–5 | 30.6 | |||
| 2017-03-20 | 2017-03-20 | 0.33 | 3–9 | 29.5 | |||
| 2017-03-30 | 2017-03-25 | 0.85 | 4–15 | 28.5 | |||
| 2017-04-02 | 2017-03-29 | 0.57 | 4–13 | 28.7 | |||
| 2017-04-04 | 2017-04-03 | 2017 GM | 0.042 | 2–7 | 29.9 | ||
| 2017-04-16 | 2017-04-17 | 2017 HJ | 0.35 | 7–22 | 27.5 | ||
| 2017-04-22 | 2017-04-26 | 0.61 | 6–21 | 27.6 | |||
| 2017-04-23 | 2017-04-22 | 0.33 | 3–12 | 28.9 | |||
| 2017-05-02 | 2017-05-01 | 2017 JA | 0.26 | 3–13 | 28.9 | ||
| 2017-05-04 | 2017-05-02 | 0.44 | 3–9 | 29.4 | |||
| 2017-05-04 | 2017-05-06 | 0.14 | 3–11 | 29.0 | |||
| 2017-07-21 | 2017-07-23 | 0.33 | 26–93 | 24.4 | |||
| 2017-08-14 | 2017-08-16 | 0.16 | 31–91 | 24.3 | |||
| 2017-08-20 | 2017-08-18 | 0.56 | 5–22 | 27.9 | |||
| 2017-09-03 | 2017-08-31 | 0.93 | 3–9 | 29.3 | |||
| 2017-09-14 | 2017-09-18 | 0.52 | 14–49 | 25.8 | |||
| 2017-09-20 | 2017-09-17 | 0.81 | 6–26 | 27.3 | |||
| 2017-09-20 | 2017-09-21 | 0.53 | 3–9 | 29.2 | Yes | ||
| 2017-09-20 | 2017-09-20 | 0.24 | 4–12 | 28.5 | |||
| 2017-09-24 | 2017-09-25 | 0.67 | 8–27 | 27.0 | Yes | ||
| 2017-09-30 | 2017-10-01 | 0.27 | 3–8 | 29.4 | |||
| 2017-10-02 | 2017-09-29 | 0.23 | 4–16 | 28.1 | |||
| 2017-10-10 | 2017-10-14 | 0.73 | 20–95 | 24.7 | |||
| 2017-10-12 | 2012-10-04 | 0.13 | 10–31 | 26.7 | |||
| 2017-10-13 | 2017-10-21 | YT80190 | 0.21 | 2–6 | 30.4 | ||
| 2017-10-15 | 2017-10-16 | 2017 UF | 0.992 | 5–20 | 27.9 | ||
| 2017-10-16 | 2017-10-15 | 0.26 | 4–18 | 28.2 | |||
| 2017-10-17 | 2017-10-19 | 0.83 | 6–19 | 27.8 | |||
| 2017-10-19 | 2017-10-11 | 0.50 | 7–28 | 27.2 | Yes | ||
| 2017-10-20 | 2017-10-21 | 0.047 | 1–5 | 30.8 | |||
| 2017-10-21 | 2017-10-25 | 0.51 | 4–15 | 28.5 | Yes | ||
| 2017-10-22 | 2017-10-30 | YU92F9B | 0.47 | 3–10 | 29.2 | ||
| 2017-10-22 | 2017-10-30 | YU95BEF | 0.051 | 5–15 | 28.2 | ||
| 2017-10-28 | 2017-10-27 | 0.16 | 1–3 | 32.0 | |||
| 2017-10-30 | 2017-10-29 | 0.59 | 4–17 | 28.3 | |||
| 2017-11-04 | 2017-11-05 | 2017 VE | 0.88 | 10–31 | 26.6 | ||
| 2017-11-08 | 2017-11-16 | A104Vqx | 0.086 | 4–14 | 28.4 | ||
| 2017-11-09 | 2017-11-10 | 0.31 | 13–42 | 26.1 | |||
| 2017-11-13 | 2017-11-15 | 0.80 | 4–14 | 28.5 | |||
| 2017-11-14 | 2017-11-20 | P10ELNY | 0.083 | 4–12 | 28.8 | ||
| 2017-11-21 | 2017-11-20 | 0.37 | 3–7 | 29.7 | |||
| 2017-11-21 | 2017-11-22 | 0.25 | 6–26 | 27.5 | |||
| 2017-11-26 | 2017-11-26 | 0.078 | 1–3 | 31.9 | |||
| 2017-12-28 | 2017-12-25 | 0.58 | 4–18 | 28.2 | |||
| 2017-12-30 | 2017-12-28 | 0.80 | 4–13 | 28.5 |
Timeline of close approaches less than one lunar distance from the Moon in 2017
The number of asteroids listed here are significantly less than those of asteroids that approach Earth for several reasons. Asteroids that approach Earth not only move faster, but are brighter and are easier to detect with modern surveys because:- Asteroids that come closer to Earth are a higher priority to confirm, and only confirmed asteroids are listed with a lunocentric approach distance.
- Those that closely approach the Moon are frequently lost in its glare, making them harder to confirm. They are similarly hard to discover during the new moon, when the Moon is too close to the Sun to detect asteroids while they are near the Moon.
| Date of closest approach | Object | Nominal lunocentric distance | Nominal lunocentric distance | Size | Approach distance to Earth | |
| 2017-01-25 | 0.73 | 5–16 | 28.1 | 1.12 | ||
| 2017-01-25 | 2017 BX | 0.81 | 5–18 | 28.0 | 0.69 | |
| 2017-01-30 | 0.73 | 4–12 | 28.8 | 0.13 | ||
| 2017-02-03 | 0.75 | 7–24 | 27.3 | 0.42 | ||
| 2017-02-24 | 0.22 | 3–9 | 29.3 | 0.36 | ||
| 2017-02-25 | 0.70 | 3–11 | 29.1 | 0.58 | ||
| 2017-03-02 | 2017 EA | 0.87 | 1–5 | 30.8 | 0.054 | |
| 2017-03-17 | 0.92 | 6–20 | 27.7 | 0.47 | ||
| 2017-03-17 | 0.40 | 5–14 | 28.4 | 0.32 | ||
| 2017-04-04 | 2017 GM | 0.88 | 2–7 | 29.9 | 0.042 | |
| 2017-04-21 | 0.69 | 6–21 | 27.6 | 0.61 | ||
| 2017-04-24 | 0.90 | 3–12 | 28.9 | 0.33 | ||
| 2017-05-02 | 2017 JA | 0.98 | 3–13 | 28.9 | 0.26 | |
| 2017-05-02 | 0.73 | 3–11 | 29.0 | 0.14 | ||
| 2017-05-03 | 0.96 | 3–9 | 29.4 | 0.44 | ||
| 2017-05-31 | 0.45 | 10–36 | 26.5 | 1.23 | ||
| 2017-07-21 | 0.92 | 25–90 | 24.5 | 0.30 | ||
| 2017-08-14 | 0.90 | 31–91 | 24.3 | 0.16 | ||
| 2017-08-21 | 0.69 | 5–22 | 27.9 | 0.56 | ||
| 2017-08-26 | 0.94 | 4–17 | 28.3 | 1.02 | ||
| 2017-09-03 | 0.95 | 3–9 | 29.3 | 0.93 | ||
| 2017-09-16 | 0.68 | 2–7 | 29.8 | 1.08 | ||
| 2017-09-20 | 0.50 | 3–9 | 29.2 | 0.53 | ||
| 2017-09-20 | 0.83 | 6–26 | 27.3 | 0.81 | ||
| 2017-09-24 | 0.12 | 8–27 | 27.0 | 0.67 | ||
| 2017-09-30 | 0.86 | 3–8 | 29.4 | 0.27 | ||
| 2017-10-02 | 0.68 | 4–16 | 28.1 | 0.22 | ||
| 2017-10-12 | 0.72 | 10–31 | 26.7 | 0.23 | ||
| 2017-10-13 | YT80190 | 0.81 | 2–6 | 30.4 | 0.21 | |
| 2017-10-17 | 0.55 | 4–18 | 28.2 | 0.26 | ||
| 2017-10-20 | 0.65 | 1–5 | 30.8 | 0.047 | ||
| 2017-10-20 | 0.29 | 7–28 | 27.2 | 0.50 | ||
| 2017-10-20 | 0.11 | 4–15 | 28.3 | 0.51 | ||
| 2017-10-22 | YU95BEF | 0.19 | 5–15 | 28.2 | 0.051 | |
| 2017-10-24 | 0.80 | 7–28 | 27.2 | 1.38 | ||
| 2017-11-09 | 0.990 | 13–42 | 26.1 | 0.31 | ||
| 2017-11-09 | A104Vqx | 0.80 | 4–14 | 28.4 | 0.086 | |
| 2017-11-13 | 0.94 | 4–14 | 28.5 | 0.80 | ||
| 2017-11-14 | P10ELNY | 0.76 | 4–12 | 28.8 | 0.083 | |
| 2017-12-18 | 0.55 | 6–26 | 27.5 | 1.044 | ||
| 2017-12-28 | 0.68 | 4–18 | 28.2 | 0.58 |
Additional examples
An example list of near-Earth asteroids that passed or will pass more than 1 lunar distance from Earth in 2017.| Object | Size | Lunar distances | Date |
| 65 | 3.34 | 6 January 2017 | |
| 16 | 1.03 | 31 January 2017 | |
| 186 | 6.57 | 7 February 2017 | |
| 7 | 1.005 | 23 February 2017 | |
| 9 | 1.02 | 27 February 2017 | |
| 313 | 8.34 | 16 March 2017 | |
| 4 | 1.05 1.04 moon | 3 April 2017 | |
| 823 | 4.57 | 19 April 2017 | |
| 890 | 7.96 | 1 June 2017 | |
| 30 | 1.02 1.34 moon | 6 June 2017 | |
| 2017 MF | 20 | 1.21 moon | 19 June 2017 |
| 110 | 1.11 1.27 moon | 14 July 2017 | |
| 8 | 0.32 and 11 | 17–28 September 2017 | |
| 394 | 7.88 | 29 September 2017 | |
| YT83F29 | 4 | 2.6 0.73 moon | 14 October 2017 |
| 685 | 5.77 | 22 October 2017 | |
| 2006 UK | 313 | 8.66 | 17 November 2017 |
Statistics
Virtual impactors
List of asteroids with a Palermo Technical Impact Hazard Scale greater than −6 that are listed on the Sentry Risk Table because they have short observation arcs with poorly constrained orbits and have a chance of impacting Earth in 2017. Given a short observation arc, many different orbits fit the observed data. could have approached Earth around May 2017 or could have been 9 AU from Earth on the way to a close approach with Saturn in 2018. A Palermo rating of −4 indicates an event that is 10,000 times less likely than the background hazard level of Earth impacts, which is defined as the average risk posed by objects of the same size or larger over the years until the date of the potential impact.| Date | Object | Estimated diameter | Obs arc | Impact probability | Palermo scale | JPL Horizons nominal geocentric distance | NEODyS nominal geocentric distance |
| 2017-05-22 | 2,000 | 1.3 | 830,000,000 | -1.83 | Not listed | ||
| 2017-05-25 | 110 | 1.1 | 120,000,000 | -4.47 | |||
| 2017-08-19 | 500 | 1.8 | 420,000,000 | -3.41 | |||
| 2017-09-18 | 157 | 0.9 | 7,700,000,000 | -5.78 | |||
| 2017-11-18 | 45 | 0.083 | 100,000,000 | -5.50 | |||
| 2017-11-29 | 2007 YM | 20 | 0.13 | 2,000,000 | -5.21 | ||
| 2017-12-01 | 2,000 | 1.3 | 10,000,000,000 | -3.62 | Not listed | ||
| 2017-12-13 | 53 | 1.9 | 230,000,000 | -5.98 | |||
| 2017-12-20 | 2,000 | 1.3 | 83,000,000 | -1.97 | Not listed |