Key Facts

Overview

Polyneikes is a large asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit around the sun. NASA JPL has not classified Polyneikes as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Polyneikes orbits the sun every 4,170 days (11.42 years), coming as close as 4.94 AU and reaching as far as 5.20 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Polyneikes is probably between 10.293 to 23.017 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

Polyneikes's orbit is 3.96 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

Polyneikes's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 19, 1973. It was last officially observed on March 14, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,769 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 Polyneikes:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 5.068 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0252
  • Inclination: 2.33°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 52.24°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 37.3°
  • Mean Anomaly: 3.16°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~13.289 km
  • Magnitude: 12.06

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 4,170 days (11.42 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 13.22 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.20 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 4.94 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Polyneikes 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.