Key Facts
- Categorized as a Main-belt Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay (4.59 km diameter)
- Not a Near Earth Object
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
6963 (1990 OQ3) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1990 OQ3 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1990 OQ3 orbits the sun every 1,230 days (3.37 years), coming as close as 1.82 AU and reaching as far as 2.68 AU from the sun. 1990 OQ3 is about 4.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
No Close Approaches
1990 OQ3's orbit is 0.81 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
1990 OQ3's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 28, 1970. It was last officially observed on June 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,409 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 1990 OQ3:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.251 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1893
- Inclination: 4.38°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 292.62°
- Argument of Periapsis: 17.45°
- Mean Anomaly: 293.79°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 4.58700 km
- Magnitude: 13.83
- Albedo: 0.335
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,230 days (3.37 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.91 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.68 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.82 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 6963 (1990 OQ3) 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 1990 OQ3 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.
