(4486) Mithra Apollo
Discovered on 22 September 1987 by Elst, E. W., Shkodrov, V. G. at Smolyan.
Named for the Indo-Iranian god of the heavenly light that led to Mithraism, one of the last oriental mystery cults to reach the west, where it became the chief rival to and opponent of Christianity. In Babylonia, Chaldaean astrology was incorporated, while Greek art, religion and philosophy provided the models for Mithraic iconography and the Mithraic mysteries. The two religions have much in common: a divine lord by whom man was assured of elevation, a sacramental meal and a ritual of baptism. Many ruins of Mithraic sanctuaries are still to be found in Europe, near Frankfurt and Heidelberg, for example. This minor planet is of Apollo type, and in Asia Minor around 330 B.C. the god Mithra was identified with the god Apollo. Citation prepared by E. W. Elst.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #10, 4), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Mithra is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mithra is 1.06 au from the Sun and 0.946 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4486 |
| Provisional designation | 1987 SB |
| Orbit class | Apollo · near-Earth · potentially hazardous |
| Diameter | 1.85 km (#17,190 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.297 |
| Rotation period | 67.5 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.62 |
| Orbital period | 3.27 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.21 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 0.750 – 3.66 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.660 |
| Inclination | 3.03° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.0458 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.