Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
- Will pass within 12,697,392 km of Earth in 2062
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Aristaeus is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Aristaeus as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Aristaeus orbits the sun every 739 days (2.02 years), coming as close as 0.80 AU and reaching as far as 2.40 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Aristaeus is probably between 0.652 to 1.459 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.
Close Approaches
Aristaeus's orbit is 0.01 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
Aristaeus has 5 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 26, 2062 | 12,697,392 | 15.967 |
| April 2, 2064 | 8,172,817 | 18.760 |
| March 19, 2145 | 26,244,969 | 14.529 |
| March 30, 2147 | 4,448,148 | 17.026 |
| April 6, 2149 | 14,372,897 | 19.684 |
Images and Observations
Aristaeus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 17, 1977. It was last officially observed on May 30, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 61 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 Aristaeus:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.6 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.5028
- Inclination: 23.07°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 191.12°
- Argument of Periapsis: 290.97°
- Mean Anomaly: 7.48°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.842 km
- Magnitude: 18.05
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 739 days (2.02 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 23.55 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.40 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.80 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Aristaeus 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 Aristaeus 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.
