Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan (3.57 km diameter)
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

5587 (1990 SB) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1990 SB 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.

1990 SB orbits the sun every 1,360 days (3.72 years), coming as close as 1.09 AU and reaching as far as 3.70 AU from the sun. 1990 SB is about 3.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 1990 SB has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.05 hours.

1990 SB's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sq (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

1990 SB's orbit is 0.31 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.

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

Images and Observations

1990 SB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 7, 1953. It was last officially observed on Aug. 7, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,332 observations used to determine its orbit.

Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:

View asteroid 5587 (1990 SB) 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 1990 SB:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.398 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.544
  • Inclination: 18.09°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 189.92°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 86.81°
  • Mean Anomaly: 357.9°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.57000 km
  • Magnitude: 13.9
  • Albedo: 0.32
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Sq

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,360 days (3.72 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.18 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.70 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.09 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.05 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 5587 (1990 SB) 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 1990 SB 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.