6874 (1994 JO1)

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

6874 (1994 JO1) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1994 JO1 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1994 JO1 orbits the sun every 1,220 days (3.34 years), coming as close as 1.61 AU and reaching as far as 2.87 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1994 JO1 is probably between 4.351 to 9.728 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1994 JO1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.44 hours.

No Close Approaches

1994 JO1's orbit is 0.61 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

1994 JO1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 10, 1950. It was last officially observed on May 7, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,984 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 1994 JO1:

• 315 Constantia (A891 RB)
• 525 Adelaide (A908 UJ)
• 685 Hermia (A909 PC)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 6874 (1994 JO1) 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 1994 JO1 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.