5660 (1974 MA)

Mid-sized Apollo-class Asteroid

Near-Earth
Space Reference » Apollo-class Asteroids » 5660 (1974 MA)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to Mount Everest
  • Will pass within 24,668,188 km of Earth in 2036
  • Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

5660 (1974 MA) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1974 MA 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.

1974 MA orbits the sun every 871 days (2.38 years), coming as close as 0.42 AU and reaching as far as 3.15 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1974 MA is probably between 2.092 to 4.678 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of 1974 MA has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 17.50 hours.

1974 MA's spectral type None (Tholen) / Q (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain .

Close Approaches

1974 MA's orbit is 0.16 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.

1974 MA has 3 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:

Date Distance from Earth (km) Velocity (km/s)
Aug. 4, 2036 24,668,188 29.898
Aug. 5, 2067 25,806,318 29.186
Aug. 4, 2098 26,685,400 30.091

Images and Observations

1974 MA's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 26, 1974. It was last officially observed on April 22, 2020. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 295 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 1974 MA:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.785 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.762
  • Inclination: 38.13°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 302.13°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 127.02°
  • Mean Anomaly: 192.83°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.701 km
  • Magnitude: 15.52
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Q

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 871 days (2.38 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.30 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 0.42 AU
  • Rotation Period: 17.50 hours
  • Approx. Composition: .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 5660 (1974 MA) 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 1974 MA 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.