Key Facts

Overview

16373 (1981 ES5) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1981 ES5 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1981 ES5 orbits the sun every 1,570 days (4.30 years), coming as close as 2.15 AU and reaching as far as 3.15 AU from the sun. 1981 ES5 is about 7.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1981 ES5's orbit is 1.18 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

1981 ES5's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 2, 1981. It was last officially observed on Feb. 2, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,577 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 1981 ES5:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.648 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1881
  • Inclination: 10.04°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 299.27°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 77.38°
  • Mean Anomaly: 101.2°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.09200 km
  • Magnitude: 14.68
  • Albedo: 0.072

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,570 days (4.30 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.35 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.15 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 16373 (1981 ES5) 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.