Key Facts

Overview

Rhadamanthus is a large asteroid whose orbit extends beyond the orbit of Neptune. NASA JPL has not classified Rhadamanthus as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Rhadamanthus orbits the sun every 88,200 days (241.48 years), coming as close as 32.71 AU and reaching as far as 44.85 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Rhadamanthus is probably between 104.365 to 233.367 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. state of Connecticut.

No Close Approaches

Rhadamanthus's orbit is 31.80 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely 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

Rhadamanthus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 20, 1999. It was last officially observed on April 21, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 79 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 Rhadamanthus:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 38.78 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1564
  • Inclination: 12.79°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 10.08°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 78.33°
  • Mean Anomaly: 112.41°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~134.735 km
  • Magnitude: 7.03

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 88,200 days (241.48 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 4.78 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 44.85 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 32.71 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Rhadamanthus 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.