(18725) Atacama Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 May 1998 by ODAS at Caussols.
The Atacama desert, which covers regions II, III and IV of Chile, is one of the driest deserts on Earth. It contains many mineral resources, but also a number of very high-quality astronomical sites on which many modern instruments have been installed.Naming citation (20030614/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Atacama is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Atacama is 3.05 au from the Sun and 3.15 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 18725 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 JL3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.05 km (#8,854 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.278 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.38 |
| Orbital period | 4.59 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.76 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.40 – 3.12 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.132 |
| Inclination | 8.82° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.43 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.