Key Facts

Overview

Vesuvius is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Vesuvius as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Vesuvius orbits the sun every 2,910 days (7.97 years), coming as close as 3.45 AU and reaching as far as 4.53 AU from the sun. Vesuvius is about 15.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Baltimore.

No Close Approaches

Vesuvius's orbit is 2.44 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

Vesuvius's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 19, 1973. It was last officially observed on April 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,058 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 Vesuvius:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.987 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1352
  • Inclination: 9.25°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 168.4°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 142.8°
  • Mean Anomaly: 165.25°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 15.37900 km
  • Magnitude: 12.59
  • Albedo: 0.091

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,910 days (7.97 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 14.91 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.53 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.45 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Vesuvius 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.