Key Facts
- Categorized as a Mars-crossing Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay
- Not a Near Earth Object
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
46818 (1998 MZ24) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 MZ24 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1998 MZ24 orbits the sun every 1,300 days (3.56 years), coming as close as 1.56 AU and reaching as far as 3.11 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 MZ24 is probably between 3.737 to 8.357 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
The rotation of 1998 MZ24 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.78 hours.
No Close Approaches
1998 MZ24's orbit is 0.71 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
1998 MZ24's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 23, 1979. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,727 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 MZ24:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.335 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.3316
- Inclination: 21.52°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 260.81°
- Argument of Periapsis: 100.28°
- Mean Anomaly: 327.18°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: ~4.825 km
- Magnitude: 14.26
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,300 days (3.56 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.54 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 3.11 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.56 AU
- Rotation Period: 2.78 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 46818 (1998 MZ24) 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 1998 MZ24 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.
