96536 (1998 SO10)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Apollo-class Asteroid
• Comparable in size to Mount Everest
• Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

96536 (1998 SO10) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit crosses the orbit of Earth. NASA JPL has classified 1998 SO10 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.

1998 SO10 orbits the sun every 1,280 days (3.50 years), coming as close as 0.51 AU and reaching as far as 4.09 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1998 SO10 is probably between 2.161 to 4.831 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

1998 SO10's orbit is 0.46 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.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

1998 SO10's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 24, 1976. It was last officially observed on Dec. 25, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,542 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 1998 SO10:

• 18 Melpomene (A852 MA)
• 80 Sappho (A864 JA)
• 428 Monachia (A897 WA)

References

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

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 96536 (1998 SO10) 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 1998 SO10 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.