Key Facts

Overview

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

Avicenna orbits the sun every 1,760 days (4.82 years), coming as close as 2.12 AU and reaching as far as 3.58 AU from the sun. Avicenna is about 11.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

Avicenna's orbit is 1.12 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

Avicenna's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 14, 1971. It was last officially observed on June 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,851 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 Avicenna:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.849 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2568
  • Inclination: 4.56°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 232.22°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 149.08°
  • Mean Anomaly: 134.15°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 11.84100 km
  • Magnitude: 13.45
  • Albedo: 0.066

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,760 days (4.82 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.61 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.58 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.12 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Avicenna 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.