Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
- Will pass within 9,409,893 km of Earth in 2032
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Pan is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Pan as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Pan orbits the sun every 633 days (1.73 years), coming as close as 0.60 AU and reaching as far as 2.29 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Pan is probably between 0.930 to 2.080 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.
The rotation of Pan has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 56.48 hours.
Close Approaches
Pan's orbit is 0.03 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.
Pan has 13 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Sept. 3, 2032 | 9,409,893 | 19.753 |
| Feb. 15, 2034 | 9,706,898 | 20.229 |
| Sept. 5, 2058 | 11,741,761 | 20.332 |
| Feb. 17, 2060 | 5,521,231 | 19.165 |
| Sept. 11, 2084 | 28,471,225 | 23.932 |
| Feb. 23, 2086 | 15,125,070 | 15.612 |
| Aug. 21, 2091 | 26,919,125 | 13.516 |
| Sept. 1, 2117 | 9,204,821 | 17.338 |
| Feb. 13, 2119 | 21,601,382 | 22.732 |
| Aug. 29, 2143 | 15,041,408 | 15.919 |
| Feb. 26, 2164 | 16,159,846 | 15.409 |
| Feb. 27, 2190 | 18,693,857 | 14.927 |
| Aug. 25, 2195 | 24,344,186 | 14.005 |
Images and Observations
Pan's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 6, 1937. It was last officially observed on Dec. 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,513 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 Pan:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.442 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.5868
- Inclination: 5.52°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 311.77°
- Argument of Periapsis: 291.84°
- Mean Anomaly: 324.63°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~1.201 km
- Magnitude: 17.28
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 633 days (1.73 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.78 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.29 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.60 AU
- Rotation Period: 56.48 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Pan 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 Pan 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.
