Key Facts

Overview

17540 (1993 FX81) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1993 FX81 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1993 FX81 orbits the sun every 1,840 days (5.04 years), coming as close as 2.58 AU and reaching as far as 3.30 AU from the sun. 1993 FX81 is about 7.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1993 FX81's orbit is 1.60 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

1993 FX81's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 20, 1982. It was last officially observed on June 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,031 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 1993 FX81:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.942 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1232
  • Inclination: 6.62°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 82.99°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 72.24°
  • Mean Anomaly: 41.23°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.04300 km
  • Magnitude: 13.06
  • Albedo: 0.356

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,840 days (5.04 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.39 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.30 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.58 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 17540 (1993 FX81) 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.