9068 (1993 OD)

Mid-sized Mars-crossing Asteroid

Space Reference » Mars-crossing Asteroids » 9068 (1993 OD)

Key Facts

Overview

9068 (1993 OD) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1993 OD as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1993 OD orbits the sun every 897 days (2.46 years), coming as close as 1.55 AU and reaching as far as 2.09 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1993 OD is probably between 4.619 to 10.329 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1993 OD has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.41 hours.

No Close Approaches

1993 OD's orbit is 0.66 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

1993 OD's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 20, 1980. It was last officially observed on Oct. 21, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,990 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 1993 OD:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.82 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.15
  • Inclination: 20.3°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 301.95°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 104.83°
  • Mean Anomaly: 13.21°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~5.963 km
  • Magnitude: 13.8

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 897 days (2.46 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 22.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.09 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.55 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.41 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 9068 (1993 OD) 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 1993 OD 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.