13578 (1993 MK)

Mid-sized Inner Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Inner Main-belt Asteroids » 13578 (1993 MK)

Key Facts

Overview

13578 (1993 MK) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter within the inner portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1993 MK as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1993 MK orbits the sun every 990 days (2.71 years), coming as close as 1.76 AU and reaching as far as 2.12 AU from the sun. 1993 MK is about 3.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 1993 MK has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.96 hours.

No Close Approaches

1993 MK's orbit is 0.80 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

1993 MK's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 1, 1973. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,494 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 1993 MK:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.944 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0922
  • Inclination: 24.49°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 112.32°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 237.12°
  • Mean Anomaly: 3.05°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.51200 km
  • Magnitude: 13.95
  • Albedo: 0.520

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 990 days (2.71 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.36 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.12 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.76 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.96 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 13578 (1993 MK) 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 1993 MK 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.