2018 HE3

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Centaur-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Not a Near Earth Object
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

2018 HE3 is a small asteroid with an orbit between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA JPL has not classified 2018 HE3 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2018 HE3 orbits the sun every 6,700 days (18.34 years), coming as close as 1.67 AU and reaching as far as 12.25 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2018 HE3 is probably between 0.635 to 1.419 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

No Close Approaches

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

2018 HE3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 16, 2018. It was last officially observed on April 17, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 16 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 2018 HE3:

• 347449 (2012 TW236)
• P/2022 W1 (Rankin)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 2018 HE3 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 2018 HE3 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.