38396

38396 (1998) is a minor planet located in the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. It was first observed on July 27, 1998, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) survey at the Socorro observatory in New Mexico, United States. The discoverers are credited with the object's initial recognition and subsequent observations that confirmed its orbit. Following standard practice, the minor planet was given a provisional designation until its orbit was determined with sufficient precision, after which it received the permanent number 38396.

Its orbital parameters place it in the central region of the main asteroid belt. The semimajor axis is approximately 2.3 astronomical units, with an orbital period of roughly 3.5 Earth years. The asteroid follows a moderately eccentric path and has an inclination of around eight degrees relative to the ecliptic plane. These characteristics classify it as a typical S-type (silicaceous) asteroid, although no detailed spectroscopic study has been published to confirm its spectral type definitively.

38396 has an estimated diameter of about 2–3 kilometers, based on its absolute magnitude of 15.8 and an assumed albedo of 0.20, which is typical for S-type bodies. Its rotation period, pole orientation, and detailed shape remain unknown as no comprehensive lightcurve or radar observations have been reported in the literature.

The minor planet does not carry a formal name beyond its numerical designation, and it has been cited only in catalog compilations such as the Minor Planet Center database. As of the most recent published ephemerides, 38396 continues to follow its regular orbit around the Sun within the main belt, with no current or anticipated close approaches to Earth or other planets.