Key Facts

Overview

17296 (3541 P-L) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 3541 P-L as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

3541 P-L orbits the sun every 2,000 days (5.48 years), coming as close as 2.18 AU and reaching as far as 4.03 AU from the sun. 3541 P-L is about 7.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 3541 P-L has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.21 hours.

No Close Approaches

3541 P-L'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

3541 P-L's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 19, 1949. It was last officially observed on June 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,981 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 3541 P-L:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.107 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2973
  • Inclination: 8.42°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 307.21°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 33.45°
  • Mean Anomaly: 182.78°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.48400 km
  • Magnitude: 13.04
  • Albedo: 0.200

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,000 days (5.48 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.90 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.03 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.18 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.21 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 17296 (3541 P-L) 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.