Key Facts
- Categorized as a Main-belt Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay (6.82 km diameter)
- Not a Near Earth Object
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
11271 (1988 KB) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1988 KB as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1988 KB orbits the sun every 1,320 days (3.61 years), coming as close as 1.79 AU and reaching as far as 2.92 AU from the sun. 1988 KB is about 6.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.
The rotation of 1988 KB has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.36 hours.
No Close Approaches
1988 KB's orbit is 0.81 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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
1988 KB's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 14, 1988. It was last officially observed on April 16, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,677 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 1988 KB:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.357 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2395
- Inclination: 25.66°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 88.75°
- Argument of Periapsis: 145.74°
- Mean Anomaly: 279.43°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 6.81500 km
- Magnitude: 13.13
- Albedo: 0.247
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,320 days (3.61 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.43 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.92 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.79 AU
- Rotation Period: 6.36 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 11271 (1988 KB) 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 1988 KB 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.
