Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (1.00 km diameter)
- Will pass within 29,544,073 km of Earth in 2089
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Amor is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified Amor as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.
Amor orbits the sun every 971 days (2.66 years), coming as close as 1.08 AU and reaching as far as 2.76 AU from the sun. Amor is about 1.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
Close Approaches
Amor's orbit is 0.11 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.
Amor has 11 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| April 7, 2089 | 29,544,073 | 7.900 |
| March 31, 2097 | 21,022,926 | 7.565 |
| March 28, 2105 | 17,050,901 | 7.850 |
| March 28, 2113 | 17,255,575 | 7.827 |
| March 27, 2121 | 16,598,129 | 7.975 |
| March 25, 2129 | 16,201,533 | 8.259 |
| March 26, 2137 | 16,587,936 | 8.115 |
| March 25, 2145 | 16,333,724 | 8.232 |
| March 23, 2153 | 17,152,457 | 8.780 |
| March 21, 2161 | 19,669,044 | 9.301 |
| March 18, 2169 | 25,401,994 | 10.484 |
Images and Observations
Amor's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 12, 1932. It was last officially observed on July 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 593 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 Amor:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.919 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.4357
- Inclination: 11.88°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 171.32°
- Argument of Periapsis: 26.65°
- Mean Anomaly: 123.53°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 1.00000 km
- Magnitude: 17.37
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 971 days (2.66 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.50 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.76 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.08 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Amor 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.
Size Rendering
The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of Amor to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
