Key Facts

Overview

Melanthios is a large asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit around the sun. NASA JPL has not classified Melanthios as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Melanthios orbits the sun every 4,230 days (11.58 years), coming as close as 4.82 AU and reaching as far as 5.42 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Melanthios is probably between 12.959 to 28.976 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

No Close Approaches

Melanthios's orbit is 3.83 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Melanthios's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 19, 1973. It was last officially observed on April 1, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,966 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 Melanthios:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 5.119 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0585
  • Inclination: 5.75°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 358.14°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 38.61°
  • Mean Anomaly: 56.49°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~16.729 km
  • Magnitude: 11.56

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 4,230 days (11.58 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 13.17 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.42 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 4.82 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Melanthios 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.