Bennu
101955 · Sampled and returned to Earth in 2023.
Current distance from Earth
271,966,923km
707.5 lunar distances1.818 AU
Heliocentric orbit · top-down · live
Next close approach
2054-Sep-30
Passes 15.3 lunar distances from Earth — about 5,879,036 km, closing at 5.1 km/s.
Long-term impact monitoring
Bennu is tracked on the long-term monitoring list — here’s what the numbers actually mean.
Torino scale
0 — No hazard
Cumulative impact chance
1 in 1,749
0.057% across all dates
Palermo scale
-1.40
below background risk
Possible dates tracked
157
between 2178 and 2290
A Torino rating of 0 means no cause for concern, and a Palermo value of -1.40 — below zero — means the chance is lower than the background risk of a similar random impact over the same period. The headline figure is a cumulative probability spread across 157 possible dates between 2178 and 2290, so the chance on any one date is far smaller still. No impact is predicted, and objects are routinely removed from monitoring as their orbits are refined — both Apophis and 2024 YR4 were.
Orbit class
Apollo
around the Sun
Orbital period
1.20 yr
439 days
Diameter
490 m
about the height of the Empire State Building
Eccentricity
0.204
orbit shape
Inclination
6.0°
to the ecliptic
Discovered
1999
Size in perspective
1.5×Bennu is 1.5× the size of the Eiffel Tower.
Observe it tonight
Apparent brightness
mag 30.4
Too faint to observe
Right ascension
8h 36m
Declination
+20° 18′
From your location
tap to check ›
Bennu is currently faint (magnitude 30.4) — it brightens around close approaches. Position is in equatorial coordinates (J2000); pair it with our sky conditions to plan a session.
Visited by OSIRIS-REx
Collected a surface sample in 2020; the capsule returned in September 2023. The craft flies on as OSIRIS-APEX.
Frequently asked questions
How close does Bennu come to Earth?
Its next notable close approach is on 2054-Sep-30, when it passes about 15.3 lunar distances from Earth — roughly 5,879,036 km. Bennu is currently about 708 lunar distances away — the live orbit and distance are shown above.
Is Bennu going to hit Earth?
No impact is predicted. Bennu is tracked on the long-term impact-monitoring list with a cumulative chance of roughly 1 in 1,749, spread across 157 possible dates between 2178 and 2290 — a very low probability. Its Torino rating is 0 (no hazard), and its Palermo value of -1.40 sits below the background level. Objects are removed from monitoring as their orbits are refined. The full impact-monitoring breakdown is shown above.
How big is Bennu?
Bennu is estimated at about 490 m across — about the height of the Empire State Building. Size estimates are derived from how bright the asteroid appears and refined by radar and thermal measurements when it passes close to Earth.
What kind of orbit does Bennu have?
Bennu is Apollo (Earth-crossing) object. It orbits the Sun once every 1.20 years, on an elliptical path that reaches beyond Earth’s orbit and swings back toward the Sun. The interactive orbit diagram above shows where it is right now.
Has a spacecraft visited Bennu?
Yes — OSIRIS-REx. Collected a surface sample in 2020; the capsule returned in September 2023. The craft flies on as OSIRIS-APEX. Explore more spacecraft and missions.
Can I see Bennu through a telescope?
Most of the time Bennu is far too faint to see, but during a close approach it can brighten enough for amateur telescopes, and the largest near-Earth asteroids occasionally reach binocular range. Check the close-approach date above, then plan your night with our sky and space-weather tools.
Related near-earth objects