Key Facts

Overview

11961 (1994 PO) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1994 PO as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1994 PO orbits the sun every 1,510 days (4.13 years), coming as close as 2.31 AU and reaching as far as 2.84 AU from the sun. 1994 PO is about 7.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1994 PO's orbit is 1.34 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

1994 PO's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 29, 1986. It was last officially observed on July 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,939 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 1994 PO:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.572 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1026
  • Inclination: 12.35°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 317.09°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 242.64°
  • Mean Anomaly: 121.51°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.22100 km
  • Magnitude: 13.25
  • Albedo: 0.196

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,510 days (4.13 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.53 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.84 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.31 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 11961 (1994 PO) 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.