Key Facts

Overview

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

Zhejiang orbits the sun every 1,710 days (4.68 years), coming as close as 2.35 AU and reaching as far as 3.25 AU from the sun. Zhejiang is about 10.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Boston.

Zhejiang's spectral type None (Tholen) / S (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

Zhejiang's orbit is 1.36 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

Zhejiang's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 16, 1955. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,190 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 Zhejiang:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.797 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.161
  • Inclination: 9.59°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 24.7°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 18.37°
  • Mean Anomaly: 43.76°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 10.76500 km
  • Magnitude: 12.04
  • Albedo: 0.242
  • Spectral type (SMASS): S

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,710 days (4.68 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.79 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.25 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.35 AU
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Zhejiang 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.