14402 (1991 DB)

Small Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 14402 (1991 DB)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.60 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 29,520,892 km of Earth in 2110
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

14402 (1991 DB) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1991 DB 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.

1991 DB orbits the sun every 820 days (2.25 years), coming as close as 1.03 AU and reaching as far as 2.40 AU from the sun. 1991 DB is about 0.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

The rotation of 1991 DB has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.26 hours.

1991 DB's spectral type None (Tholen) / C (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

Close Approaches

1991 DB's orbit is 0.10 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.

1991 DB has 7 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
April 17, 2110 29,520,892 6.905
April 1, 2119 22,976,530 6.987
March 25, 2128 18,179,843 7.706
March 22, 2137 16,111,824 8.408
March 19, 2146 16,125,883 9.271
March 16, 2155 19,329,454 10.468
March 11, 2164 29,725,672 12.778

Images and Observations

1991 DB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 13, 1991. It was last officially observed on Nov. 25, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 674 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 1991 DB:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460000.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.715 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.402
  • Inclination: 11.42°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 158.22°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 51.34°
  • Mean Anomaly: 62.41°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.60000 km
  • Magnitude: 18.78
  • Albedo: 0.14
  • Spectral type (SMASS): C

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 820 days (2.25 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.75 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.40 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.03 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.26 hours
  • Approx. Composition: water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 14402 (1991 DB) 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 1991 DB 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.