SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
Khufu
NASA JPL SBDB · 3362

Khufu

Khufu is an Aten-type near-Earth asteroid whose orbit lies mostly inside that of Earth, with a semi-major axis of 0.99 AU and a period of 0.98 yr.

Aten Observations: 262
Encyclopedia excerpt
3362 Khufu is a near-Earth asteroid. It was discovered by R. Scott Dunbar and Maria A. Barucci at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, on 30 August 1984. Its provisional designation was 1984 QA. It is named after Khufu, an ancient Egyptian pharaoh. Khufu was the 4th Aten asteroid to be numbered. 33 Khufu is a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) because its minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) is less than 0.05 AU and its diameter is greater than 150 meters. The Earth-MOID is 0.0135 AU (2,020,000 km; 1,250,000 mi). Its orbit is well-determined for the next several hundred years. Khufu crosses the orbits of Mars, Earth, and Venus and makes close approaches to Mercury as well. From 1900 to 2100 it drew nearer than 30 million km (0.2 AU) to Mercury 26, Venus 27, Earth 20, and Mars 11 times.
Orbital Period · P
0.98 yr
v(q)
49.8 km/s
v(Q)
18 km/s
Diameter · ≈
0.7 km
TJ
6.02
Eccentricity · e
0.4685

Orbit and dynamics

Between its closest point (0.526 AU) and its farthest (1.453 AU), the heliocentric distance changes by 0.927 AU over every revolution.

One full revolution takes 0.98 yr (360 days), computed from the semi-major axis of 0.99 AU.

The high eccentricity (0.469) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 9.92° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 49.8 km/s at perihelion and falls to 18 km/s at aphelion.

Because q < 1 AU and Q > 1 AU, this orbit geometrically intersects the region of Earth's orbit.

Size and surface

The measured diameter is 0.7 km, a value from direct size determination rather than from brightness alone.

A geometric albedo of 0.21 points to a comparatively bright, reflective surface.

Observation record and orbit quality

Astrometry from 262 individual observations underpins this orbit; the fit leaves an RMS residual of 0.6347 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
0.9895 AU
Eccentricity
0.4685
Perihelion
0.526 AU
Aphelion
1.453081 AU
Inclination
9.92°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
240.65°

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
0.7 km
Albedo
0.21
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
18.52

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.6347
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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