Key Facts

Overview

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

Rebeccawatson orbits the sun every 2,390 days (6.54 years), coming as close as 3.20 AU and reaching as far as 3.80 AU from the sun. Rebeccawatson is about 8.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

Rebeccawatson's orbit is 2.19 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

Rebeccawatson's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 18, 2001. It was last officially observed on May 11, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 649 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 Rebeccawatson:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.501 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0858
  • Inclination: 9.66°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 2.11°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 338.43°
  • Mean Anomaly: 0.3°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.22600 km
  • Magnitude: 14.4
  • Albedo: 0.055

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,390 days (6.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 15.94 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.80 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.20 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Rebeccawatson 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.