Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Main-belt Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island (66.89 km diameter)
  • Not a Near Earth Object
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

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

Angola orbits the sun every 2,050 days (5.61 years), coming as close as 2.67 AU and reaching as far as 3.65 AU from the sun. Angola is about 66.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Angola has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 11.53 hours.

No Close Approaches

Angola's orbit is 1.66 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

Angola's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 11, 1929. It was last officially observed on April 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 5,035 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 Angola:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.162 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1549
  • Inclination: 19.4°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 237.45°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 17.56°
  • Mean Anomaly: 216.31°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 66.89200 km
  • Magnitude: 10.11
  • Albedo: 0.029

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,050 days (5.61 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.78 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.65 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.67 AU
  • Rotation Period: 11.53 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Angola 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.