Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.30 km diameter)
- Will pass within 19,771,640 km of Earth in 2026
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Anteros is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified Anteros 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.
Anteros orbits the sun every 625 days (1.71 years), coming as close as 1.06 AU and reaching as far as 1.80 AU from the sun. Anteros is about 2.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.
The rotation of Anteros has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.87 hours.
Anteros's spectral type S (Tholen) / L (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.
Close Approaches
Anteros's orbit is 0.06 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.
Anteros has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 30, 2026 | 19,771,640 | 7.391 |
| May 23, 2038 | 9,934,871 | 5.777 |
| May 20, 2050 | 9,518,928 | 5.451 |
| May 14, 2062 | 14,363,093 | 5.468 |
| June 1, 2115 | 20,882,445 | 7.542 |
| May 24, 2127 | 9,733,943 | 5.751 |
| May 20, 2139 | 10,225,491 | 5.404 |
| May 10, 2151 | 22,165,108 | 6.268 |
Images and Observations
Anteros's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 10, 1973. It was last officially observed on July 24, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,996 observations used to determine its orbit.
Accessibility and Exploration
Anteros can be reached with a journey of 370 days. This trajectory would require a delta-v of 11.705 km/s. To put this into perspective, the delta-v to launch a rocket to Low-Earth Orbit is 9.7 km/s. There are 13 potential trajectories and launch windows to this asteroid.
See more at the NHATS Mission Trajectories table for Anteros.
Similar Objects
These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of Anteros:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.431 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.256
- Inclination: 8.71°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 246.3°
- Argument of Periapsis: 338.41°
- Mean Anomaly: 159.53°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 2.30000 km
- Magnitude: 15.71
- Albedo: 0.17
- Spectral type (Tholen): S
- Spectral type (SMASS): L
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 625 days (1.71 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.91 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.80 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.06 AU
- Rotation Period: 2.87 hours
- Approx. Composition: magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Anteros 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 Anteros 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.
