Key Facts
- Categorized as a Aten-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.94 km diameter)
- Will pass within 29,706,554 km of Earth in 2038
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Sekhmet is a small asteroid whose orbit could bring it in close proximity to Earth. NASA JPL has classified Sekhmet 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.
Sekhmet orbits the sun every 337 days (0.92 years), coming as close as 0.67 AU and reaching as far as 1.23 AU from the sun. Sekhmet is about 0.9 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 Sekhmet has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.82 hours.
Close Approaches
Sekhmet's orbit is 0.11 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.
Sekhmet has 14 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| May 20, 2038 | 29,706,554 | 25.307 |
| May 19, 2050 | 23,918,215 | 24.686 |
| May 19, 2062 | 19,951,128 | 24.210 |
| May 18, 2074 | 17,768,469 | 23.875 |
| May 18, 2086 | 16,982,607 | 23.654 |
| May 18, 2098 | 16,997,366 | 23.484 |
| May 19, 2110 | 17,305,069 | 23.397 |
| May 19, 2122 | 17,690,447 | 23.318 |
| May 19, 2134 | 17,987,540 | 23.283 |
| May 19, 2146 | 18,191,717 | 23.259 |
| May 19, 2158 | 18,252,209 | 23.246 |
| May 19, 2170 | 18,221,055 | 23.263 |
| May 19, 2182 | 18,152,772 | 23.258 |
| May 19, 2194 | 18,064,189 | 23.285 |
Images and Observations
Sekhmet's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 14, 1991. It was last officially observed on March 22, 2017. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 428 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 Sekhmet:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 0.9475 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2964
- Inclination: 48.97°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 58.53°
- Argument of Periapsis: 37.42°
- Mean Anomaly: 131.64°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.93500 km
- Magnitude: 16.75
- Albedo: 0.507
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 337 days (0.92 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 30.59 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.23 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.67 AU
- Rotation Period: 2.82 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Sekhmet 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 Sekhmet 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.
