Key Facts

Overview

18990 (2000 RW31) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 2000 RW31 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2000 RW31 orbits the sun every 1,910 days (5.23 years), coming as close as 2.86 AU and reaching as far as 3.18 AU from the sun. 2000 RW31 is about 8.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 2000 RW31 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.52 hours.

No Close Approaches

2000 RW31's orbit is 1.86 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

2000 RW31's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 1, 1992. It was last officially observed on May 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,900 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 2000 RW31:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.017 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0536
  • Inclination: 9.52°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 330.41°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 195.41°
  • Mean Anomaly: 340.75°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.03400 km
  • Magnitude: 13.38
  • Albedo: 0.083

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,910 days (5.23 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.18 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.18 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.86 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.52 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 18990 (2000 RW31) 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.