SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2016 AK8

2016 AK8

2016 AK8 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 1.448 AU once every 1.74 yr.

Amor Observations: 173
Orbital Period · P
1.74 yr
v(q)
29.9 km/s
v(Q)
20.5 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.21 km
TJ
4.55
Eccentricity · e
0.1867

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.177 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 1.718 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 0.541 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.448 AU gives an orbital period of 1.74 yr, or about 636 days.

An eccentricity of 0.187 makes the orbit moderately elongated.

A steep inclination of 23.1° carries it well above and below the ecliptic plane.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 29.9 km/s at perihelion and falls to 20.5 km/s at aphelion.

Its perihelion lies just outside Earth's orbit, which is why it is classed as Earth-approaching rather than Earth-crossing.

Size and surface

The measured diameter is 0.54 km, a value from direct size determination rather than from brightness alone.

Its geometric albedo of 0.011 indicates a very dark, carbonaceous-type surface.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 173 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.4591 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 0 means the orbit is very well determined, leaving only a small uncertainty in the future ephemeris.

About these computed values

Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

Orbital Parameters

Semi-Major Axis
1.448 AU
Eccentricity
0.1867
Perihelion
1.177 AU
Aphelion
1.718342 AU
Inclination
23.1°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
349.04°

Orbit diagram

The Sun sits at the focus (orange). Earth's orbit is the grey circle at 1 AU. The red dot marks the object's position at the catalog epoch.

3D orbit (interactive)

Drag to rotate; scroll or pinch to zoom. The Sun is at the focus (orange), Earth's orbit is the grey ring at 1 AU, and the red dot marks the object's current position.

Close approaches

No close approaches to Earth are currently on record for this object.

Physical Parameters

Diameter
0.543 km
Albedo
0.011
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
21.14

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.45913
Condition
0
Orbit ID
—
Data source: NASA JPL Small-Body Database . Orbital periods, perihelion and aphelion speeds, and diameter estimates on this page are computed by SpaceAtlas from the JPL SBDB orbital elements. They are derived quantities, not values copied from the source catalogue.

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