Key Facts

Overview

Atami is a large asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified Atami as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Atami orbits the sun every 993 days (2.72 years), coming as close as 1.45 AU and reaching as far as 2.45 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Atami is probably between 8.027 to 17.949 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the city of Boston.

The rotation of Atami has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 27.45 hours.

Atami's spectral type S (Tholen) / S (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

Atami's orbit is 0.47 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Atami's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 1, 1929. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,494 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 Atami:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.948 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2555
  • Inclination: 13.09°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 213.3°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 206.73°
  • Mean Anomaly: 188.52°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~10.363 km
  • Magnitude: 12.6
  • Spectral type (Tholen): S
  • Spectral type (SMASS): S

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 993 days (2.72 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.34 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.45 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.45 AU
  • Rotation Period: 27.45 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Atami 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.