387505 (1998 KN3)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth Potentially Hazardous
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 387505 (1998 KN3)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (1.06 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 9,696,285 km of Earth in 2033
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

387505 (1998 KN3) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 KN3 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

1998 KN3 orbits the sun every 699 days (1.91 years), coming as close as 0.20 AU and reaching as far as 2.89 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. 1998 KN3 is about 1.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

1998 KN3's orbit is 0.02 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 KN3 has 15 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Feb. 26, 2033 9,696,285 29.814
June 1, 2044 15,077,389 29.068
Feb. 23, 2056 27,037,995 26.486
May 29, 2067 5,460,006 32.073
March 9, 2077 27,218,225 37.244
May 21, 2090 27,160,162 37.254
March 2, 2100 3,865,593 31.222
June 3, 2111 11,925,636 29.725
May 23, 2134 27,234,351 37.276
March 1, 2144 6,757,376 30.496
June 1, 2155 6,515,313 30.950
March 11, 2165 27,859,108 37.357
May 23, 2178 28,474,358 37.542
March 2, 2188 4,382,397 31.198
June 4, 2199 13,060,077 29.423

Images and Observations

1998 KN3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 24, 1998. It was last officially observed on April 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,500 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 1998 KN3:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.542 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.8735
  • Inclination: 2.29°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 313.29°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 71.19°
  • Mean Anomaly: 42.94°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.06000 km
  • Magnitude: 18.78
  • Albedo: 0.074

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 699 days (1.91 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.00 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.89 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.20 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 387505 (1998 KN3) 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 1998 KN3 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.