Key Facts

Overview

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

Boubin orbits the sun every 1,530 days (4.19 years), coming as close as 2.16 AU and reaching as far as 3.03 AU from the sun. Boubin 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 Boubin has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 2.53 hours.

No Close Approaches

Boubin's orbit is 1.18 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

Boubin's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 11, 1955. It was last officially observed on April 2, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,866 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 Boubin:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.594 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.167
  • Inclination: 14.35°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 37.16°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 26.75°
  • Mean Anomaly: 51.29°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.01300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.27
  • Albedo: 0.436

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,530 days (4.19 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.44 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.03 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.16 AU
  • Rotation Period: 2.53 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Boubin 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.