Key Facts

Overview

18703 (1998 HN68) is a mid-sized asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 HN68 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1998 HN68 orbits the sun every 2,110 days (5.78 years), coming as close as 2.84 AU and reaching as far as 3.59 AU from the sun. 1998 HN68 is about 9.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1998 HN68's orbit is 1.82 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

1998 HN68's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 11, 1997. It was last officially observed on Nov. 16, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,730 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 1998 HN68:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.215 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.117
  • Inclination: 3.28°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 271.54°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 19.3°
  • Mean Anomaly: 78.87°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 9.46200 km
  • Magnitude: 13.94
  • Albedo: 0.045

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,110 days (5.78 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.58 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.59 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.84 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 18703 (1998 HN68) 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.