SpaceAtlas Space Object Data
NASA JPL SBDB · 438902

438902

438902 is an Amor-type near-Earth asteroid that approaches Earth from beyond our orbit without crossing it, orbiting the Sun at 3.084 AU once every 5.42 yr.

Amor Observations: 938
Orbital Period · P
5.42 yr
v(q)
37.2 km/s
v(Q)
7.7 km/s
Diameter · ≈
1.12 km
TJ
2.8
Eccentricity · e
0.656

Orbit and dynamics

The path is an ellipse reaching 1.061 AU from the Sun at perihelion and 5.107 AU at aphelion, a radial span of 4.046 AU.

Applying Kepler's third law to a = 3.084 AU gives an orbital period of 5.42 yr, or about 1,978 days.

The high eccentricity (0.656) produces a strongly elongated orbit, so the object spends most of its time far from the Sun.

The orbital plane is tilted 16.97° relative to the ecliptic.

By the vis-viva equation its orbital speed rises to 37.2 km/s at perihelion and falls to 7.7 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 2.23 km, a value from direct size determination rather than from brightness alone.

Its geometric albedo of 0.047 indicates a very dark, carbonaceous-type surface.

Observation record and orbit quality

The current orbit solution is based on 938 observations and has a weighted RMS residual of 0.3334 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
3.084 AU
Eccentricity
0.656
Perihelion
1.061 AU
Aphelion
5.107104 AU
Inclination
16.97°
Orbital Period
— yr
Epoch
2461200.5
Mean Anomaly
348.81°

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
2.226 km
Albedo
0.047
Density
— g/cm³
Rotation Period
— h
Absolute Magnitude
17.5

Orbit Quality

RMS
0.33342
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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