Key Facts

Overview

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

Riga orbits the sun every 2,250 days (6.16 years), coming as close as 3.17 AU and reaching as far as 3.54 AU from the sun. Riga is about 68.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Riga has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 22.23 hours.

Riga's spectral type XFCU (Tholen) / Cb (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

No Close Approaches

Riga's orbit is 2.18 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

Riga's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 13, 1950. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 5,266 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 Riga:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.356 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0548
  • Inclination: 22.59°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 186.7°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 26.93°
  • Mean Anomaly: 133.52°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 68.16700 km
  • Magnitude: 9.92
  • Albedo: 0.044
  • Spectral type (Tholen): XFCU
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Cb

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,250 days (6.16 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.23 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.54 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.17 AU
  • Rotation Period: 22.23 hours
  • Approx. Composition: water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Riga 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.