65996 (1998 MX5)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge
• Will pass within 28,655,418 km of Earth in 2038
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

65996 (1998 MX5) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1998 MX5 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.

1998 MX5 orbits the sun every 1,840 days (5.04 years), coming as close as 1.16 AU and reaching as far as 4.71 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 MX5 is probably between 0.525 to 1.175 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 1998 MX5 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.40 hours.

Close Approaches

1998 MX5's orbit is 0.20 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.

1998 MX5 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1998 MX5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 14, 1993. It was last officially observed on Aug. 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,063 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 1998 MX5:

• 280 Philia (A888 UB)
• 411 Xanthe (A896 AD)
• 467 Laura (A901 AA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 65996 (1998 MX5) 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 1998 MX5 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.