Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to Mount Everest (1.90 km diameter)
- Will pass within 8,607,876 km of Earth in 2022
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Cacus is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Cacus as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Cacus orbits the sun every 435 days (1.19 years), coming as close as 0.88 AU and reaching as far as 1.36 AU from the sun. Cacus is about 1.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.
The rotation of Cacus has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.75 hours.
Close Approaches
Cacus's orbit is 0.02 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.
Cacus has 18 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 1, 2022 | 8,607,876 | 14.288 |
| March 7, 2028 | 22,085,933 | 13.802 |
| Sept. 8, 2041 | 22,445,468 | 17.288 |
| Aug. 29, 2047 | 24,432,761 | 13.511 |
| March 8, 2053 | 17,122,251 | 14.767 |
| Sept. 4, 2066 | 6,764,169 | 15.508 |
| March 8, 2078 | 19,288,875 | 15.475 |
| Sept. 5, 2091 | 6,952,921 | 15.528 |
| March 10, 2103 | 17,536,776 | 14.821 |
| Sept. 9, 2116 | 22,823,957 | 17.343 |
| Aug. 31, 2122 | 16,380,079 | 13.825 |
| March 8, 2128 | 21,769,491 | 13.853 |
| Sept. 4, 2147 | 3,699,423 | 14.676 |
| March 8, 2153 | 25,765,900 | 13.582 |
| Sept. 12, 2166 | 29,258,153 | 18.158 |
| Aug. 30, 2172 | 17,706,863 | 13.761 |
| March 9, 2178 | 18,066,362 | 14.339 |
| Sept. 8, 2191 | 12,080,979 | 16.070 |
Images and Observations
Cacus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 8, 1978. It was last officially observed on Jan. 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,651 observations used to determine its orbit.
Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:
View asteroid Cacus in 3D.
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 Cacus:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.123 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2138
- Inclination: 26.06°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 161.22°
- Argument of Periapsis: 102.07°
- Mean Anomaly: 7.4°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 1.90000 km
- Magnitude: 17.31
- Albedo: 0.09
- Spectral type (Tholen): S
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 435 days (1.19 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 28.09 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.36 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.88 AU
- Rotation Period: 3.75 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Cacus 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 Cacus 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.
