Key Facts

Overview

Amycus is a large asteroid with an orbit between Jupiter and Neptune. NASA JPL has not classified Amycus as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Amycus orbits the sun every 45,700 days (125.12 years), coming as close as 15.23 AU and reaching as far as 34.79 AU from the sun. Amycus is about 100.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Amycus has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 9.76 hours.

No Close Approaches

Amycus's orbit is 14.20 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Amycus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 24, 1987. It was last officially observed on Aug. 18, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 136 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 Amycus:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 25.01 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.391
  • Inclination: 13.34°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 315.54°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 239.14°
  • Mean Anomaly: 59.5°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 100.90000 km
  • Magnitude: 7.44
  • Albedo: 0.180

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 45,700 days (125.12 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 5.95 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 34.79 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 15.23 AU
  • Rotation Period: 9.76 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Amycus 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.