Rafaelnadal

128036 Rafaelnadal (2003 KM18)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Rafaelnadal

Key Facts

Overview

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

Rafaelnadal orbits the sun every 1,380 days (3.78 years), coming as close as 1.87 AU and reaching as far as 2.98 AU from the sun. Rafaelnadal is about 1.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

Rafaelnadal's orbit is 0.86 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

Rafaelnadal's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 10, 1950. It was last officially observed on Sept. 19, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 893 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 Rafaelnadal:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.426 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2287
  • Inclination: 10.73°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 68.2°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 186.83°
  • Mean Anomaly: 134.35°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.72900 km
  • Magnitude: 15.92
  • Albedo: 0.258

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,380 days (3.78 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.13 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.98 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.87 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of Rafaelnadal 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 Rafaelnadal 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.