Key Facts

Overview

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

Porter orbits the sun every 1,220 days (3.34 years), coming as close as 1.95 AU and reaching as far as 2.52 AU from the sun. Porter is about 8.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Porter has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.97 hours.

No Close Approaches

Porter's orbit is 0.96 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

Porter's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 23, 1950. It was last officially observed on May 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,500 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 Porter:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.235 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1274
  • Inclination: 4.44°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 168.34°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 239.24°
  • Mean Anomaly: 92.77°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.37000 km
  • Magnitude: 12.25
  • Albedo: 0.145
  • Spectral type (Tholen): S

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,220 days (3.34 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.93 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.52 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.95 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.97 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Porter 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.