Key Facts

Overview

Garecynthia is a mid-sized asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Garecynthia as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Garecynthia orbits the sun every 2,350 days (6.43 years), coming as close as 3.20 AU and reaching as far as 3.73 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Garecynthia is probably between 6.260 to 13.997 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

Garecynthia's orbit is 2.20 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Garecynthia's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 7, 1977. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,531 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of Garecynthia:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.463 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0759
  • Inclination: 4.97°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 138.42°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 216.63°
  • Mean Anomaly: 70.4°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~8.081 km
  • Magnitude: 13.14

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,350 days (6.43 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.03 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.73 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.20 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Garecynthia is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.