36284 (2000 DM8)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

36284 (2000 DM8) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 DM8 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.

2000 DM8 orbits the sun every 661 days (1.81 years), coming as close as 0.66 AU and reaching as far as 2.31 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 DM8 is probably between 2.597 to 5.808 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 2000 DM8 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.84 hours.

2000 DM8's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sq (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

2000 DM8's orbit is 0.27 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.

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

Images and Observations

2000 DM8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 30, 1999. It was last officially observed on Jan. 23, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,751 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 2000 DM8:

• 4660 Nereus (1982 DB)
• 5131 (1990 BG)
• 7025 (1993 QA)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 36284 (2000 DM8) 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 2000 DM8 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.