Key Facts
- Categorized as a Main-belt Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan (4.58 km diameter)
- Not a Near Earth Object
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
van Herk is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified van Herk as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
van Herk orbits the sun every 1,220 days (3.34 years), coming as close as 1.79 AU and reaching as far as 2.69 AU from the sun. van Herk is about 4.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.
The rotation of van Herk has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 88.45 hours.
No Close Approaches
van Herk's orbit is 0.78 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
van Herk's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 22, 1930. It was last officially observed on June 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,822 observations used to determine its orbit.
Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:
View asteroid van Herk in 3D.
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 van Herk:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.239 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2002
- Inclination: 3.51°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 236.78°
- Argument of Periapsis: 98.96°
- Mean Anomaly: 272.19°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 4.57900 km
- Magnitude: 13.14
- Albedo: 0.307
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,220 days (3.34 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.97 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.69 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.79 AU
- Rotation Period: 88.45 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of van Herk 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.
Size Rendering
The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of van Herk to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
