17274 (2000 LC16)

Mid-sized Amor-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » 17274 (2000 LC16)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan (3.18 km diameter)
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

17274 (2000 LC16) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 2000 LC16 as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.

2000 LC16 orbits the sun every 1,650 days (4.52 years), coming as close as 1.22 AU and reaching as far as 4.25 AU from the sun. 2000 LC16 is about 3.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 2000 LC16 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 16.50 hours.

2000 LC16's spectral type None (Tholen) / Xk (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain iron, nickel, and cobalt.

No Close Approaches

2000 LC16's orbit is 0.21 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.

Images and Observations

2000 LC16's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 23, 1955. It was last officially observed on April 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,906 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 2000 LC16:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.733 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5538
  • Inclination: 5.57°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 305.71°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 21.4°
  • Mean Anomaly: 41.99°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.18300 km
  • Magnitude: 16.87
  • Albedo: 0.037
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Xk

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,650 days (4.52 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.02 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.25 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.22 AU
  • Rotation Period: 16.50 hours
  • Approx. Composition: iron, nickel, and cobalt.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 17274 (2000 LC16) 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 2000 LC16 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.