24445 (2000 PM8)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

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Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan
  • Will pass within 27,118,568 km of Earth in 2059
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

24445 (2000 PM8) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 2000 PM8 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.

2000 PM8 orbits the sun every 1,200 days (3.29 years), coming as close as 1.00 AU and reaching as far as 3.42 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2000 PM8 is probably between 2.928 to 6.547 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 2000 PM8 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.81 hours.

Close Approaches

2000 PM8's orbit is 0.08 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.

2000 PM8 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Oct. 13, 2059 27,118,568 18.297
Oct. 12, 2082 27,575,995 18.475

Images and Observations

2000 PM8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 10, 1991. It was last officially observed on Aug. 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,662 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 PM8:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.21 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.546
  • Inclination: 23.78°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 203.16°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 219.06°
  • Mean Anomaly: 359.51°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~3.780 km
  • Magnitude: 14.79

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,200 days (3.29 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.04 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.42 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.00 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.81 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 24445 (2000 PM8) 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 PM8 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.