369986 (1998 SO) is a very small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 SO 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.
1998 SO orbits the sun every 229 days (0.63 years), coming as close as 0.22 AU and reaching as far as 1.24 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 SO is probably between 0.208 to 0.466 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
1998 SO's orbit is 0.20 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.
1998 SO has 9 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
---|---|---|
Sept. 5, 2128 | 29,820,627 | 19.750 |
Sept. 5, 2133 | 29,601,818 | 19.947 |
Sept. 5, 2138 | 29,429,784 | 20.167 |
Sept. 5, 2143 | 29,348,173 | 20.343 |
Sept. 4, 2148 | 29,332,289 | 20.483 |
Sept. 4, 2153 | 29,348,327 | 20.613 |
Sept. 4, 2158 | 29,403,169 | 20.764 |
Sept. 4, 2163 | 29,504,647 | 20.960 |
Sept. 3, 2168 | 29,752,688 | 21.237 |
1998 SO's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 16, 1998. It was last officially observed on Oct. 2, 2018. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 219 observations used to determine its orbit.
The position of 369986 (1998 SO) 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.
The below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1998 SO to create an approximate landscape rendering with New York City in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.