16868 (1998 AK8) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 AK8 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1998 AK8 orbits the sun every 880 days (2.41 years), coming as close as 1.47 AU and reaching as far as 2.13 AU from the sun. 1998 AK8 is about 1.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
1998 AK8's orbit is 0.49 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.
Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.
1998 AK8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 17, 1977. It was last officially observed on April 29, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 541 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 16868 (1998 AK8) 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.
The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1998 AK8 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.