Asteroid 9 Metis
Asteroid 9 Metis is in the constellation of
Libra,
at a distance of
Finder Charts
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High precision deep sky finder chart, 60 arcmin wide, showing where Asteroid 9 Metis is right now. Click on the image to see a more detailed fullscreen tracker view.
Also check out Where is Asteroid 9 Metis?, a page that provides all the information needed to find Asteroid 9 Metis in the sky and additional links to sky charts.
Celestial Coordinates
Apparent
J2000
Additional Information
Rise and Set Times
Today's rise, transit and set times of Asteroid 9 Metis from Greenwich, UK (all times relative to the local timezone Europe/London):
- 9 Metis is above the horizon from Greenwich, UK.
- Right now it is placed in the South-West direction at an altitude of 11.50° above the horizon.
- Given its current magnitude, 9 Metis is visible with the help of a binocular with a 70-80mm aperture or a small telescope.
- Go to interactive sky chart
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Distance from Earth
The distance of Asteroid 9 Metis from Earth is currently
The following chart shows the distance of Asteroid 9 Metis from Earth as a function of time. In the chart the distance data is measured in Astronomical Units and sampled with an interval of 1 day.
The value of the reported distance might be somewhat inaccurate around the times of closest approach for objects passing extremely close to Earth. The value of the distance of 9 Metis from Earth is also available as a real time updated value in the Live Position and Data Tracker.
Closest Approach
Between 1 January 1900 and 31 December 2099, the closest approach of Asteroid 9 Metis to Earth happens on Thu Dec 7 1916 at a distance of 1.107641 Astronomical Units, or 165,700,805 kilometers:
NOTE: values for the closest approach are computed with a sampling interval of 1 day.
Light Curve
The following chart is the predicted light curve (visual magnitude as a function of time) of Asteroid 9 Metis, according to the most recent ephemerides data. Magnitude data is sampled with a 2 days interval and there might be inaccuracies for objects changing brightness very rapidly during the course of a few days. For comets there could be large discrepancies between the observed and predicted brightness because of their highly dynamic behaviour.
Orbital Elements
The following table lists the orbital elements of Asteroid 9 Metis at epoch 12 September 2023 00:00 UTC (JD: 2460200.5). Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Element | Symbol | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orbit eccentricity | e | 0.12314872 |
| Orbit inclination | i | 5.57784939° |
| Perihelion distance | q | 2.09274436 AU 313,070,101 km |
| Aphelion distance | Q |
2.68057219 AU 401,007,892 km |
| Semi-major axis | a |
2.38665827 AU 357,038,996 km |
| Orbital period | period |
3.6872 years 1,346.7401 days |
| Date of perihelion transit | Tp | 2023-Nov-06 12:17:03 2,460,255.0118 JD |
| Next perihelion transit | 2027-Jul-15 06:02 2,461,601.7519 JD |
|
| Argument of perihelion | peri | 5.7479145141883° |
| Longitude of the ascending node | node | 68.868596344893° |
| Mean anomaly | M | 345.42832037731° |
| Mean motion | n | 0.26731216°/day |
View Asteroid 9 Metis in the 3D Solar System Simulator
Physical Data
The following shows the known values of the most important physical parameters of Asteroid 9 Metis. Source: JPL Small-Body Database
| Physical Parameter | Value | Relative to Earth |
|---|---|---|
| Diameter | 190 km | 0.0149 |
| Sideral Rotation | 5.0790 hours | 0.2122 |
| Absolute Magnitude | 6.28 | |
| Geometric Albedo | 0.118 |
15 Days Ephemeris
The following table lists the ephemerides of Asteroid 9 Metis computed for the past and next 7 days, with a 24 hours interval. Apparent celestial coordinates are provided.
| Date | Right AscensionR.A. | DeclinationDec. | MagnitudeMag | Constellation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 Jun 12 | 14h 41m 07s | -13° 41’ 06” | 10.49 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 13 | 14h 40m 39s | -13° 41’ 20” | 10.51 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 14 | 14h 40m 12s | -13° 41’ 40” | 10.53 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 15 | 14h 39m 46s | -13° 42’ 07” | 10.55 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 16 | 14h 39m 23s | -13° 42’ 40” | 10.58 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 17 | 14h 39m 00s | -13° 43’ 20” | 10.60 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 18 | 14h 38m 40s | -13° 44’ 05” | 10.62 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 19 | 14h 38m 21s | -13° 44’ 59” | 10.64 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 20 | 14h 38m 03s | -13° 45’ 58” | 10.66 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 21 | 14h 37m 48s | -13° 47’ 04” | 10.68 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 22 | 14h 37m 33s | -13° 48’ 16” | 10.70 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 23 | 14h 37m 21s | -13° 49’ 34” | 10.72 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 24 | 14h 37m 10s | -13° 51’ 00” | 10.74 | Libra |
| 2025 Jun 25 | 14h 37m 00s | -13° 52’ 32” | 10.76 | Libra |
Additional Resources on TheSkyLive
- Asteroid 9 Metis: Complete reference information on TheSkyLive.com.
- Where is Asteroid 9 Metis?: Key information on where to find Asteroid 9 Metis in the sky.
- Distance from Earth: Find out how far Asteroid 9 Metis is from Earth right now.
- How Bright is Asteroid 9 Metis?: Current visual brightness (magnitude) and apparent size.
- Rise and Set Times: Rise and set times of Asteroid 9 Metis from your location.
- Interactive Sky Map: Planetarium-style interactive visualization of Asteroid 9 Metis's position in the sky.
- Live Position Tracker: High precision position tracker with deep space imagery.
- Ephemeris: 15 days Asteroid 9 Metis's computed ephemeris.
- Orbital elements: Information about Asteroid 9 Metis orbital parameters.
- Orbit Visualization: 3D interactive visualization showing the orbit of Asteroid 9 Metis with respect to the major Solar System objects.
- Physical Data: Detailed information about physical properties of Asteroid 9 Metis, such as mass and geometric properties.