Key Facts

Overview

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

Sonja orbits the sun every 1,210 days (3.31 years), coming as close as 1.61 AU and reaching as far as 2.84 AU from the sun. Sonja is about 7.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Sonja has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.88 hours.

Sonja's spectral type None (Tholen) / Sq (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

Sonja's orbit is 0.62 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

Sonja's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 26, 1933. It was last officially observed on June 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,176 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 Sonja:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.228 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2753
  • Inclination: 5.36°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 236.34°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 99.89°
  • Mean Anomaly: 36.57°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.80000 km
  • Magnitude: 13.61
  • Albedo: 0.4598
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Sq

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,210 days (3.31 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.03 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.84 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.61 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.88 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Sonja 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.