Key Facts

Overview

18300 (1979 PA) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1979 PA as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1979 PA orbits the sun every 1,490 days (4.08 years), coming as close as 1.88 AU and reaching as far as 3.24 AU from the sun. 1979 PA is about 9.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1979 PA has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.36 hours.

No Close Approaches

1979 PA's orbit is 0.90 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

1979 PA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 14, 1979. It was last officially observed on May 25, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,379 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 1979 PA:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.558 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2649
  • Inclination: 12.05°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 227.29°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 67.47°
  • Mean Anomaly: 294.73°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 9.72900 km
  • Magnitude: 14.59
  • Albedo: 0.027

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,490 days (4.08 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.68 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.24 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.88 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.36 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 18300 (1979 PA) 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.