18103 (2000 MC5)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 18103 (2000 MC5)

Key Facts

Overview

18103 (2000 MC5) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 2000 MC5 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2000 MC5 orbits the sun every 1,330 days (3.64 years), coming as close as 2.03 AU and reaching as far as 2.70 AU from the sun. 2000 MC5 is about 3.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

2000 MC5's orbit is 1.04 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely 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

2000 MC5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 23, 1979. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,041 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 2000 MC5:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.361 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1417
  • Inclination: 5.54°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 290.16°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 95.32°
  • Mean Anomaly: 77.42°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.41100 km
  • Magnitude: 14.07
  • Albedo: 0.551

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,330 days (3.64 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.31 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.70 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.03 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 18103 (2000 MC5) 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 2000 MC5 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.