Key Facts

Overview

16408 (1986 AB) is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1986 AB as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1986 AB orbits the sun every 1,660 days (4.54 years), coming as close as 2.19 AU and reaching as far as 3.28 AU from the sun. 1986 AB is about 14.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

The rotation of 1986 AB has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.78 hours.

No Close Approaches

1986 AB's orbit is 1.22 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

1986 AB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 18, 1978. It was last officially observed on June 10, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,324 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 1986 AB:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.738 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1984
  • Inclination: 13.71°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 310.51°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 55.47°
  • Mean Anomaly: 199.17°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 13.97200 km
  • Magnitude: 12.87
  • Albedo: 0.068

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,660 days (4.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.94 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.28 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.19 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.78 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 16408 (1986 AB) 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.