53319 (1999 JM8)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay (7.00 km diameter)
• Will pass within 11,430,915 km of Earth in 2137
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Classified as a Potentially Hazardous Asteroid (PHA)
• See orbit simulation

Overview

53319 (1999 JM8) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1999 JM8 as a "Potentially Hazardous Asteroid" due to its predicted close pass(es) with Earth.

1999 JM8 orbits the sun every 1,640 days (4.49 years), coming as close as 0.98 AU and reaching as far as 4.47 AU from the sun. 1999 JM8 is about 7.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1999 JM8 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 143.70 hours.

Close Approaches

1999 JM8's orbit is 0.03 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.

1999 JM8 has 2 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Images and Observations

1999 JM8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 27, 1990. It was last officially observed on Jan. 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,385 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 1999 JM8:

• 45 Eugenia (A857 MA)
• 59 Elpis (A860 RA)
• 146 Lucina (A875 LC)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 53319 (1999 JM8) 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.