26129 (1993 DK)

Key Facts

• Categorized as a Mars-crossing Asteroid
• Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay
• Not a Near Earth Object
• Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
• See orbit simulation

Overview

26129 (1993 DK) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1993 DK as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1993 DK orbits the sun every 1,390 days (3.81 years), coming as close as 1.62 AU and reaching as far as 3.25 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1993 DK is probably between 4.136 to 9.248 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1993 DK's orbit is 0.78 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

1993 DK's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 10, 1978. It was last officially observed on March 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,299 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 1993 DK:

• 6 Hebe (A847 NA)
• 19 Fortuna (A852 QA)
• 21 Lutetia (A852 VA)

References

• JPL Small Body Database
• Mission Design
• Sky Finder Chart

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 26129 (1993 DK) 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1993 DK to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.