Key Facts

Overview

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

Bistar orbits the sun every 1,660 days (4.54 years), coming as close as 2.07 AU and reaching as far as 3.42 AU from the sun. Bistar is about 11.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

Bistar's orbit is 1.08 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

Bistar's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 30, 1971. It was last officially observed on April 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,429 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 Bistar:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.745 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.246
  • Inclination: 7.29°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 239.51°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 143.49°
  • Mean Anomaly: 141.42°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 11.20100 km
  • Magnitude: 13.89
  • Albedo: 0.044

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,660 days (4.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.99 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.42 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.07 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Bistar 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.