Key Facts

Overview

Cunningham is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Cunningham as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Cunningham orbits the sun every 2,850 days (7.80 years), coming as close as 3.27 AU and reaching as far as 4.60 AU from the sun. Cunningham is about 79.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Cunningham has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.74 hours.

Cunningham's spectral type P (Tholen) / None (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain .

No Close Approaches

Cunningham's orbit is 2.28 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

Cunningham's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 13, 1904. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 5,055 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 Cunningham:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.939 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1688
  • Inclination: 12.15°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 162.83°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 110.19°
  • Mean Anomaly: 358.08°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 79.52000 km
  • Magnitude: 9.8
  • Albedo: 0.0345
  • Spectral type (Tholen): P

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,850 days (7.80 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 15.04 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.60 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.27 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.74 hours
  • Approx. Composition: .

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Cunningham 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.