SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 2018 AF3

2018 AF3

2018 AF3 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 1.206 AU once every 1.32 yr.

Amor Observations: 94
Orbital Period · P
1.32 yr
v(q)
29 km/s
v(Q)
25.4 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.09 km
TJ
5.27
Eccentricity · e
0.0674

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.125 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 1.287 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 0.162 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 1.206 AU gives an orbital period of 1.32 yr, or about 484 days.

With e = 0.067, the orbit is close to circular.

The orbital plane is tilted 7.7° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 29 km/s at perihelion and falls to 25.4 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

No direct size measurement is available; from an absolute magnitude of H = 22.89 and an assumed geometric albedo of 0.14, the diameter works out to roughly 0.09 km.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 94 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.5519 arcseconds.

Condition code U = 1 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
1.206 AU
Eccentricity
0.0674
Perihelion
1.125 AU
Aphelion
1.287284 AU
Inclination
7.7°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
296.97°

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
— km
Albedo
—
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
22.89

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.5519
Condition
1
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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