Key Facts

Overview

15958 (1998 BE33) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 BE33 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1998 BE33 orbits the sun every 1,620 days (4.44 years), coming as close as 1.93 AU and reaching as far as 3.47 AU from the sun. 1998 BE33 is about 9.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1998 BE33's orbit is 0.97 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

1998 BE33's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 7, 1983. It was last officially observed on Sept. 22, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,788 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 1998 BE33:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.697 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2848
  • Inclination: 10.3°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 167.49°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 257.24°
  • Mean Anomaly: 357.7°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 9.19000 km
  • Magnitude: 14.54
  • Albedo: 0.0276

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,620 days (4.44 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.11 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.47 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.93 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 15958 (1998 BE33) 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.