Key Facts

Overview

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

Dunkelman orbits the sun every 2,450 days (6.71 years), coming as close as 3.26 AU and reaching as far as 3.84 AU from the sun. Dunkelman is about 15.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Baltimore.

No Close Approaches

Dunkelman's orbit is 2.25 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

Dunkelman's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 30, 1982. It was last officially observed on June 23, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,586 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 Dunkelman:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.553 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0814
  • Inclination: 12.28°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 121.09°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 196.25°
  • Mean Anomaly: 250.07°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 15.32000 km
  • Magnitude: 12.79
  • Albedo: 0.083

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,450 days (6.71 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 15.78 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.84 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.26 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Dunkelman 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.