Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.10 km diameter)
- Will pass within 18,491,638 km of Earth in 2027
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Sigurd is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Sigurd 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.
Sigurd orbits the sun every 600 days (1.64 years), coming as close as 0.87 AU and reaching as far as 1.91 AU from the sun. Sigurd is about 2.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.
The rotation of Sigurd has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 8.50 hours.
Sigurd's spectral type None (Tholen) / K (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.
Close Approaches
Sigurd's orbit is 0.12 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.
Sigurd has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 8, 2027 | 18,491,638 | 22.440 |
| Aug. 30, 2050 | 29,726,038 | 23.416 |
| Sept. 20, 2068 | 27,065,165 | 22.054 |
| Sept. 9, 2091 | 18,134,381 | 22.374 |
| Sept. 13, 2132 | 18,342,394 | 22.164 |
| Sept. 12, 2173 | 18,012,561 | 22.238 |
Images and Observations
Sigurd's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 1, 1976. It was last officially observed on May 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,981 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 Sigurd:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.392 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3755
- Inclination: 36.88°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 349.23°
- Argument of Periapsis: 22.02°
- Mean Anomaly: 195.0°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 2.10400 km
- Magnitude: 15.23
- Albedo: 0.190
- Spectral type (SMASS): K
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 600 days (1.64 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 25.24 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.91 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.87 AU
- Rotation Period: 8.50 hours
- Approx. Composition: water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Sigurd 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 above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of Sigurd to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
