Key Facts

Overview

8473 (1984 SS5) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1984 SS5 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1984 SS5 orbits the sun every 2,000 days (5.48 years), coming as close as 2.56 AU and reaching as far as 3.66 AU from the sun. 1984 SS5 is about 9.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1984 SS5's orbit is 1.56 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1984 SS5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 21, 1984. It was last officially observed on Nov. 27, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,883 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 1984 SS5:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.11 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.178
  • Inclination: 6.17°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 83.28°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 278.7°
  • Mean Anomaly: 34.52°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 9.75400 km
  • Magnitude: 13.49
  • Albedo: 0.107

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,000 days (5.48 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.92 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.66 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.56 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 8473 (1984 SS5) 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.