Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (1.00 km diameter)
- Will pass within 24,396,746 km of Earth in 2079
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Nyx is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified Nyx 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.
Nyx orbits the sun every 977 days (2.67 years), coming as close as 1.04 AU and reaching as far as 2.81 AU from the sun. Nyx is about 1.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The rotation of Nyx has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.43 hours.
Nyx's spectral type V (Tholen) / V (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .
Close Approaches
Nyx's orbit is 0.06 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.
Nyx has 6 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 19, 2079 | 24,396,746 | 9.496 |
| Oct. 8, 2087 | 10,344,929 | 5.906 |
| Oct. 28, 2095 | 8,782,899 | 5.559 |
| Nov. 16, 2103 | 18,583,648 | 8.300 |
| Oct. 3, 2186 | 13,794,908 | 6.840 |
| Oct. 18, 2194 | 8,676,411 | 5.441 |
Images and Observations
Nyx's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 6, 1980. It was last officially observed on May 22, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,947 observations used to determine its orbit.
Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:
View asteroid Nyx in 3D.
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 Nyx:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.928 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4594
- Inclination: 2.19°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 261.2°
- Argument of Periapsis: 126.63°
- Mean Anomaly: 18.4°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 1.00000 km
- Magnitude: 17.46
- Albedo: 0.23
- Spectral type (Tholen): V
- Spectral type (SMASS): V
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 977 days (2.67 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.47 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.81 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.04 AU
- Rotation Period: 4.43 hours
- Approx. Composition: and .
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Nyx 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 Nyx 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.
