Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.56 km diameter)
- Will pass within 20,533,749 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Geographos is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Geographos as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Geographos orbits the sun every 508 days (1.39 years), coming as close as 0.83 AU and reaching as far as 1.66 AU from the sun. Geographos is about 2.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.
The rotation of Geographos has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.22 hours.
Geographos's spectral type S (Tholen) / S (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
Geographos's orbit is 0.03 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.
Geographos has 17 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Aug. 31, 2019 | 20,533,749 | 15.284 |
| Aug. 12, 2026 | 25,497,402 | 8.362 |
| March 12, 2040 | 17,000,327 | 13.743 |
| Aug. 23, 2051 | 7,163,068 | 11.013 |
| March 13, 2065 | 14,451,048 | 12.952 |
| Aug. 20, 2076 | 11,724,111 | 10.225 |
| March 11, 2090 | 22,560,735 | 15.006 |
| Sept. 3, 2094 | 28,427,541 | 16.694 |
| Aug. 7, 2101 | 29,626,321 | 8.012 |
| March 18, 2108 | 20,878,985 | 9.391 |
| Aug. 27, 2119 | 5,029,032 | 12.389 |
| March 18, 2133 | 15,048,872 | 10.694 |
| Aug. 29, 2144 | 10,550,619 | 13.518 |
| March 20, 2158 | 26,193,118 | 8.646 |
| March 11, 2165 | 26,985,080 | 15.884 |
| Aug. 20, 2176 | 14,007,588 | 9.873 |
| March 16, 2190 | 14,445,078 | 12.719 |
Images and Observations
Geographos's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 14, 1951. It was last officially observed on April 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 7,984 observations used to determine its orbit.
Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:
View asteroid Geographos 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 Geographos:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.246 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3355
- Inclination: 13.34°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 337.17°
- Argument of Periapsis: 276.95°
- Mean Anomaly: 5.84°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 2.56000 km
- Magnitude: 15.27
- Albedo: 0.290
- Spectral type (Tholen): S
- Spectral type (SMASS): S
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 508 days (1.39 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.68 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.66 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.83 AU
- Rotation Period: 5.22 hours
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Geographos 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 Geographos 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.
