Key Facts
- Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay (6.32 km diameter)
- Will pass within 18,130,739 km of Earth in 2118
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Cadmus is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified Cadmus 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.
Cadmus orbits the sun every 1,480 days (4.05 years), coming as close as 0.78 AU and reaching as far as 4.31 AU from the sun. Cadmus is about 6.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
Close Approaches
Cadmus's orbit is 0.10 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.
Cadmus has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 27, 2118 | 18,130,739 | 17.001 |
| May 7, 2122 | 13,535,823 | 20.989 |
Images and Observations
Cadmus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 2, 1980. It was last officially observed on Oct. 16, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,155 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 Cadmus:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.546 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.6938
- Inclination: 17.79°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 56.73°
- Argument of Periapsis: 94.78°
- Mean Anomaly: 293.48°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 6.31900 km
- Magnitude: 15.13
- Albedo: 0.046
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,480 days (4.05 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.71 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 4.31 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 0.78 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Cadmus 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 Cadmus 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.
