96315 (1997 AP10)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 96315 (1997 AP10)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon
  • Will pass within 17,790,610 km of Earth in 2039
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

96315 (1997 AP10) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1997 AP10 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.

1997 AP10 orbits the sun every 633 days (1.73 years), coming as close as 0.51 AU and reaching as far as 2.37 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1997 AP10 is probably between 1.029 to 2.302 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the U.S. Pentagon.

The rotation of 1997 AP10 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.87 hours.

Close Approaches

1997 AP10's orbit is 0.11 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.

1997 AP10 has 12 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
March 29, 2039 17,790,610 19.585
March 27, 2065 16,798,622 20.349
Nov. 2, 2082 27,805,645 25.352
March 26, 2091 16,713,495 21.321
Nov. 2, 2108 24,628,187 24.517
March 26, 2117 17,382,453 21.944
Nov. 2, 2134 24,168,882 24.370
March 26, 2143 17,640,063 22.076
Nov. 2, 2160 24,587,286 24.510
March 27, 2169 17,029,364 21.622
Nov. 4, 2186 27,233,174 25.210
March 29, 2195 16,677,712 20.884

Images and Observations

1997 AP10's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 9, 1997. It was last officially observed on April 17, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 999 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 1997 AP10:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.443 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.6432
  • Inclination: 6.65°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 293.05°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 356.28°
  • Mean Anomaly: 343.32°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~1.329 km
  • Magnitude: 17.06

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 633 days (1.73 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 24.80 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.37 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.51 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.87 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 96315 (1997 AP10) 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 1997 AP10 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.