29407 (1996 UW)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Mars-crossing Asteroid
• Comparable in size to Mount Everest
• Not a Near Earth Object
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

29407 (1996 UW) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1996 UW as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1996 UW orbits the sun every 1,320 days (3.61 years), coming as close as 1.65 AU and reaching as far as 3.07 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1996 UW is probably between 2.252 to 5.035 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 1996 UW has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.23 hours.

No Close Approaches

1996 UW's orbit is 0.64 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

1996 UW's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 27, 1992. It was last officially observed on Feb. 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,701 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 1996 UW:

• 4 Vesta (A807 FA)
• 27 Euterpe (A853 VA)
• 30 Urania (A854 OA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 29407 (1996 UW) 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 1996 UW 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.