Gispen

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Mars-crossing Asteroid
• Comparable in size to Mount Everest (2.44 km diameter)
• Not a Near Earth Object
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

Gispen is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified Gispen as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Gispen orbits the sun every 1,170 days (3.20 years), coming as close as 1.46 AU and reaching as far as 2.88 AU from the sun. Gispen is about 2.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

Gispen's orbit is 0.46 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a 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

Gispen's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 7, 1977. It was last officially observed on Jan. 24, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,295 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 Gispen:

• 149 Medusa (A875 SA)
• 244 Sita (A884 TA)
• 703 Noemi (A910 TD)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Gispen 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of Gispen to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.