Key Facts

Overview

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

Volkov orbits the sun every 1,220 days (3.34 years), coming as close as 2.01 AU and reaching as far as 2.46 AU from the sun. Volkov is about 7.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Volkov has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 10.74 hours.

No Close Approaches

Volkov's orbit is 1.03 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

Volkov's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 3, 1925. It was last officially observed on March 11, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,173 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 Volkov:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.238 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0999
  • Inclination: 5.11°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 1.96°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 148.17°
  • Mean Anomaly: 332.57°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.08700 km
  • Magnitude: 12.54
  • Albedo: 0.511

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,220 days (3.34 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.96 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.46 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.01 AU
  • Rotation Period: 10.74 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Volkov 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.