Key Facts

Overview

18352 (1990 QB8) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1990 QB8 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1990 QB8 orbits the sun every 1,680 days (4.60 years), coming as close as 2.62 AU and reaching as far as 2.90 AU from the sun. 1990 QB8 is about 7.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1990 QB8's orbit is 1.63 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

1990 QB8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 16, 1990. It was last officially observed on Oct. 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,913 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 1990 QB8:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.761 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0521
  • Inclination: 6.55°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 150.61°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 330.59°
  • Mean Anomaly: 295.96°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.47300 km
  • Magnitude: 14.44
  • Albedo: 0.079

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,680 days (4.60 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.88 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.90 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.62 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 18352 (1990 QB8) 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.