75998

The designation **75998** is primarily associated with the near-Earth asteroid **1999 JM8**, a celestial object discovered on May 10, 1999, by astronomers at the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program. This asteroid belongs to the Apollo group, a category of near-Earth objects with orbits that cross Earth’s path, making them potentially hazardous if they come too close.

1999 JM8 has an estimated diameter of approximately 1.5 kilometers (0.93 miles) and an orbital period of around 3.2 years. Its orbit is highly elliptical, bringing it relatively close to Earth at times. While it is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid (PHA) due to its size and proximity, current observations suggest it poses no immediate threat of collision with Earth. NASA and other space agencies continuously monitor its trajectory to assess long-term risks.

The asteroid’s designation follows the naming conventions of the Minor Planet Center, where numbers are assigned sequentially upon confirmation of an object’s orbit. Unlike numbered minor planets, which may eventually receive official names, 75998 remains an unofficially named designation in astronomical databases.

Beyond its scientific significance, 1999 JM8 serves as an example of how near-Earth objects (NEOs) are tracked for both research and planetary defense purposes. Missions like NASA’s Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) aim to study deflection techniques in case of future threats from similar objects. While 75998 is not currently a focus of such missions, its study contributes to broader understanding of asteroid dynamics and solar system evolution.