18217 (5021 P-L)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 18217 (5021 P-L)

Key Facts

Overview

18217 (5021 P-L) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 5021 P-L as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

5021 P-L orbits the sun every 1,320 days (3.61 years), coming as close as 1.95 AU and reaching as far as 2.76 AU from the sun. 5021 P-L is about 2.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

5021 P-L's orbit is 0.96 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

5021 P-L's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 17, 1960. It was last officially observed on Jan. 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,140 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 5021 P-L:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.356 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.173
  • Inclination: 9.78°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 210.8°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 90.59°
  • Mean Anomaly: 193.11°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 2.71000 km
  • Magnitude: 14.75
  • Albedo: 0.166

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,320 days (3.61 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.42 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.76 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.95 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 18217 (5021 P-L) 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 5021 P-L 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.