Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan
- Will pass within 14,205,828 km of Earth in 2032
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Orthos is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Orthos 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.
Orthos orbits the sun every 1,370 days (3.75 years), coming as close as 0.83 AU and reaching as far as 3.98 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Orthos is probably between 3.346 to 7.482 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.
The rotation of Orthos has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.65 hours.
Close Approaches
Orthos's orbit is 0.09 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Orthos has 4 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 20, 2032 | 14,205,828 | 20.186 |
| Sept. 11, 2088 | 15,881,925 | 19.092 |
| Sept. 1, 2103 | 25,854,119 | 18.602 |
| Sept. 2, 2144 | 24,721,461 | 18.894 |
Images and Observations
Orthos's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 31, 1976. It was last officially observed on Dec. 13, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,460 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 Orthos:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2459000.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.409 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.654
- Inclination: 24.47°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 169.28°
- Argument of Periapsis: 146.04°
- Mean Anomaly: 264.36°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~4.320 km
- Magnitude: 14.5
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,370 days (3.75 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.13 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 3.98 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.83 AU
- Rotation Period: 4.65 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Orthos 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 Orthos 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.
