Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.78 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 21,846,562 km of Earth in 2045
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

7839 (1994 ND) is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified 1994 ND 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.

1994 ND orbits the sun every 1,160 days (3.18 years), coming as close as 1.04 AU and reaching as far as 3.29 AU from the sun. 1994 ND is about 0.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.

Close Approaches

1994 ND's orbit is 0.14 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.

1994 ND has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
July 9, 2045 21,846,562 17.600
July 7, 2096 24,656,675 18.261

Images and Observations

1994 ND's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 3, 1994. It was last officially observed on April 1, 2019. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 190 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 1994 ND:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.165 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.5187
  • Inclination: 27.11°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 102.51°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 228.35°
  • Mean Anomaly: 44.14°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 0.78400 km
  • Magnitude: 17.85
  • Albedo: 0.181

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,160 days (3.18 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.30 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.29 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.04 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 7839 (1994 ND) 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 1994 ND 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.