Key Facts

Overview

Suomi is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified Suomi as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Suomi orbits the sun every 940 days (2.57 years), coming as close as 1.65 AU and reaching as far as 2.11 AU from the sun. Suomi is about 7.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Suomi has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.59 hours.

No Close Approaches

Suomi's orbit is 0.75 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

Suomi's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 10, 1942. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,557 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 Suomi:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 1.878 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1234
  • Inclination: 25.07°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 175.53°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 287.39°
  • Mean Anomaly: 297.6°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.86000 km
  • Magnitude: 12.91
  • Albedo: 0.1556
  • Spectral type (Tholen): S

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 940 days (2.57 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 21.73 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.11 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.65 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.59 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Suomi 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.