Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to a football field
- Will pass within 20,659,284 km of Earth in 2019
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Asclepius is a very small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Asclepius as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Asclepius orbits the sun every 378 days (1.03 years), coming as close as 0.66 AU and reaching as far as 1.39 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Asclepius is probably between 0.189 to 0.423 kilometers in diameter, making it a small to average asteroid, very roughly comparable in size to a football field.
The rotation of Asclepius has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 8.01 hours.
Close Approaches
Asclepius's orbit is 0.00 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that its orbit is relatively close to Earth's orbit.
Asclepius has 24 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| March 22, 2019 | 20,659,284 | 6.952 |
| March 25, 2020 | 10,542,999 | 12.771 |
| Aug. 16, 2043 | 19,974,700 | 14.283 |
| Aug. 24, 2044 | 13,336,549 | 8.490 |
| March 30, 2050 | 28,395,978 | 6.492 |
| March 24, 2051 | 1,837,550 | 11.049 |
| Aug. 20, 2072 | 8,481,205 | 11.643 |
| March 20, 2078 | 16,238,611 | 7.683 |
| March 29, 2079 | 20,079,180 | 14.665 |
| Aug. 14, 2098 | 25,764,457 | 15.537 |
| Aug. 25, 2099 | 12,821,571 | 8.590 |
| March 23, 2105 | 2,573,982 | 10.251 |
| Aug. 18, 2127 | 16,713,232 | 13.610 |
| Aug. 26, 2128 | 17,457,403 | 7.607 |
| March 22, 2134 | 17,000,116 | 7.522 |
| March 29, 2135 | 14,931,874 | 13.625 |
| Aug. 16, 2157 | 20,663,502 | 14.451 |
| Aug. 26, 2158 | 13,643,117 | 8.398 |
| March 23, 2164 | 21,187,667 | 6.873 |
| March 27, 2165 | 10,636,397 | 12.772 |
| Aug. 21, 2187 | 8,752,379 | 11.752 |
| Aug. 26, 2188 | 27,133,840 | 5.859 |
| March 23, 2194 | 11,004,399 | 8.603 |
| March 30, 2195 | 19,621,361 | 14.536 |
Images and Observations
Asclepius's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 31, 1989. It was last officially observed on April 18, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 424 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 Asclepius:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.023 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3569
- Inclination: 4.92°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 180.21°
- Argument of Periapsis: 255.36°
- Mean Anomaly: 190.87°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.244 km
- Magnitude: 20.74
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 378 days (1.03 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 29.44 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.39 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.66 AU
- Rotation Period: 8.01 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Asclepius 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 below comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of Asclepius 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.
