Key Facts

Overview

Orlenok is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Orlenok as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Orlenok orbits the sun every 1,810 days (4.96 years), coming as close as 2.65 AU and reaching as far as 3.15 AU from the sun. Orlenok is about 13.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

Orlenok's orbit is 1.64 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

Orlenok's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 7, 1931. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,733 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 Orlenok:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.903 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0867
  • Inclination: 2.66°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 140.28°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 194.66°
  • Mean Anomaly: 245.37°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 13.73800 km
  • Magnitude: 11.83
  • Albedo: 0.192

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,810 days (4.96 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.45 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.65 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Orlenok 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.