7888 (1993 UC)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 7888 (1993 UC)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.30 km diameter)
  • Will pass within 12,208,607 km of Earth in 2055
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

7888 (1993 UC) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1993 UC 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.

1993 UC orbits the sun every 1,390 days (3.81 years), coming as close as 0.82 AU and reaching as far as 4.05 AU from the sun. 1993 UC is about 2.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 1993 UC has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.34 hours.

Close Approaches

1993 UC's orbit is 0.09 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.

1993 UC has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 6, 2055 12,208,607 19.286
Feb. 22, 2082 23,078,093 18.553
March 15, 2162 15,430,544 21.381

Images and Observations

1993 UC's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 28, 1989. It was last officially observed on July 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,306 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 1993 UC:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.437 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6631
  • Inclination: 26.08°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 165.9°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 323.02°
  • Mean Anomaly: 280.54°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.29800 km
  • Magnitude: 15.19
  • Albedo: 0.257
  • Spectral type (SMASS): U

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,390 days (3.81 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.05 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.82 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.34 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 7888 (1993 UC) 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 1993 UC 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.