Key Facts

Overview

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

Masursky orbits the sun every 1,500 days (4.11 years), coming as close as 2.28 AU and reaching as far as 2.85 AU from the sun. Masursky is about 10.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Boston.

The rotation of Masursky has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 59.53 hours.

No Close Approaches

Masursky's orbit is 1.33 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

Masursky's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 28, 1973. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,891 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 Masursky:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.568 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1112
  • Inclination: 12.13°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 215.32°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 287.68°
  • Mean Anomaly: 174.59°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 10.74400 km
  • Magnitude: 12.17
  • Albedo: 0.114

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,500 days (4.11 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.62 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.85 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.28 AU
  • Rotation Period: 59.53 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Masursky 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.