How Big Is the Asteroid Hermes?

Asteroids are one of the most fascinating objects in our solar system. These small rocky bodies orbit around the sun and can range in size from just a few meters to hundreds of kilometers. One such asteroid that has caught the attention of astronomers is Hermes.

Hermes, also known as 1937 UB, is a near-Earth asteroid that was discovered on October 28, 1937, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth. It is named after the Greek messenger god Hermes and is classified as an Apollo asteroid due to its orbit crossing that of Earth.

Size
Hermes is a relatively small asteroid with an estimated diameter of about 800 meters (2,625 feet). This makes it one of the smaller near-Earth asteroids that have been studied so far. To put this into perspective, this makes it about half the size of the famous Chelyabinsk meteor that exploded over Russia in 2013.

Orbit
Hermes has a highly eccentric orbit that brings it close to Earth’s orbit at times. Its closest approach to Earth occurred on April 26, 1937, when it passed within approximately 745,000 kilometers (463,000 miles) from our planet’s surface. Since then, its closest approach was on December 19th, 2019 at a distance of approximately 16 million kilometers (10 million miles).

Discovery

Hermes was discovered by Karl Reinmuth using photographic plates taken at the Heidelberg Observatory in Germany. At the time of its discovery, it was one of the smallest asteroids ever detected and its unusual orbit made it a subject of great interest among astronomers.

Limited Data

Despite being discovered over eight decades ago, there remains limited data on Hermes due to its small size and infrequent close approaches to Earth. However, scientists have been able to gather some data on its composition through spectroscopic observations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Hermes is a small near-Earth asteroid that was discovered in 1937. With an estimated diameter of about 800 meters, it is one of the smaller asteroids that have been studied.

Its highly eccentric orbit brings it close to Earth’s orbit at times, making it an interesting object of study for astronomers. Although limited data exists on Hermes, scientists continue to study this fascinating asteroid in hopes of unlocking more secrets about our solar system.