Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
- Will pass within 14,819,443 km of Earth in 2025
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Minos is a small asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Minos as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.
Minos orbits the sun every 451 days (1.23 years), coming as close as 0.68 AU and reaching as far as 1.63 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Minos is probably between 0.504 to 1.127 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The rotation of Minos has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.56 hours.
Close Approaches
Minos'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.
Minos has 18 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 5, 2025 | 14,819,443 | 10.176 |
| Aug. 9, 2031 | 19,353,680 | 9.201 |
| Feb. 4, 2041 | 13,329,790 | 10.443 |
| Jan. 22, 2068 | 29,407,297 | 18.679 |
| Aug. 13, 2069 | 10,295,175 | 10.974 |
| Jan. 27, 2079 | 11,856,396 | 14.959 |
| Aug. 18, 2080 | 8,140,941 | 14.281 |
| Feb. 4, 2090 | 12,508,060 | 10.609 |
| Aug. 1, 2107 | 29,796,852 | 7.260 |
| Jan. 25, 2117 | 21,844,536 | 17.118 |
| Aug. 17, 2118 | 3,911,339 | 12.567 |
| Feb. 1, 2128 | 5,523,798 | 12.912 |
| Aug. 23, 2129 | 17,934,460 | 16.307 |
| Feb. 9, 2139 | 19,026,425 | 9.235 |
| Aug. 14, 2167 | 12,223,408 | 10.593 |
| Feb. 14, 2177 | 24,201,682 | 8.348 |
| Aug. 17, 2183 | 4,201,509 | 12.463 |
| Feb. 21, 2198 | 27,839,260 | 8.015 |
Images and Observations
Minos's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 14, 1983. It was last officially observed on Jan. 10, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,433 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 Minos:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.151 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4127
- Inclination: 3.94°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 344.55°
- Argument of Periapsis: 239.74°
- Mean Anomaly: 265.23°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~0.651 km
- Magnitude: 18.61
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 451 days (1.23 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 27.76 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.63 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.68 AU
- Rotation Period: 3.56 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Minos 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 Minos 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.
