Key Facts

Overview

12560 (1998 RC58) is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1998 RC58 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1998 RC58 orbits the sun every 2,030 days (5.56 years), coming as close as 2.73 AU and reaching as far as 3.55 AU from the sun. 1998 RC58 is about 16.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

No Close Approaches

1998 RC58's orbit is 1.72 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

1998 RC58's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 14, 1982. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,899 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 1998 RC58:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.141 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1302
  • Inclination: 1.74°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 139.31°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 111.89°
  • Mean Anomaly: 267.7°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 16.15700 km
  • Magnitude: 13.23
  • Albedo: 0.043

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,030 days (5.56 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.83 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.55 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.73 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 12560 (1998 RC58) 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.