Magellan

4055 Magellan (1985 DO2)

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Amor-class Asteroids » Magellan

Key Facts

Overview

Magellan is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified Magellan 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.

Magellan orbits the sun every 897 days (2.46 years), coming as close as 1.23 AU and reaching as far as 2.41 AU from the sun. Magellan is about 2.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of Magellan has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.48 hours.

Magellan's spectral type V (Tholen) / V (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

Magellan's orbit is 0.24 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Magellan's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 21, 1985. It was last officially observed on Aug. 5, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 10,221 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 Magellan:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.82 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3262
  • Inclination: 23.26°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 164.82°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 154.41°
  • Mean Anomaly: 106.73°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.49000 km
  • Magnitude: 14.96
  • Albedo: 0.31
  • Spectral type (Tholen): V
  • Spectral type (SMASS): V

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 897 days (2.46 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.41 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.23 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.48 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Magellan 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 Magellan 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.