20958 (A900 MA)

Mid-sized Mars-crossing Asteroid

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Key Facts

Overview

20958 (A900 MA) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified A900 MA as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

A900 MA orbits the sun every 1,300 days (3.56 years), coming as close as 1.64 AU and reaching as far as 3.02 AU from the sun. A900 MA is about 2.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

A900 MA's orbit is 0.62 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

A900 MA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 29, 1900. It was last officially observed on April 8, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,701 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 A900 MA:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.329 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2956
  • Inclination: 8.16°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 97.44°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 187.75°
  • Mean Anomaly: 225.7°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.84700 km
  • Magnitude: 14.57
  • Albedo: 0.399

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,300 days (3.56 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.49 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.02 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.64 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 20958 (A900 MA) 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 A900 MA 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.