Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Main-belt Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island (56.94 km diameter)
  • Not a Near Earth Object
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

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

Oppavia orbits the sun every 1,660 days (4.54 years), coming as close as 2.53 AU and reaching as far as 2.96 AU from the sun. Oppavia is about 56.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Oppavia has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 19.50 hours.

No Close Approaches

Oppavia's orbit is 1.54 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

Oppavia's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 1, 1886. It was last officially observed on June 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 12,065 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 Oppavia:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.746 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.079
  • Inclination: 9.46°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 13.58°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 154.66°
  • Mean Anomaly: 105.66°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 56.93900 km
  • Magnitude: 10.56
  • Albedo: 0.038
  • Spectral type (Tholen): X

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,660 days (4.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.00 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.96 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.53 AU
  • Rotation Period: 19.50 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Oppavia 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.