Key Facts

Overview

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

Leeuwenhoek orbits the sun every 1,480 days (4.05 years), coming as close as 2.08 AU and reaching as far as 3.01 AU from the sun. Leeuwenhoek is about 7.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Leeuwenhoek has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 17.29 hours.

No Close Approaches

Leeuwenhoek's orbit is 1.10 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

Leeuwenhoek's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 2, 1941. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,007 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 Leeuwenhoek:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.545 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1838
  • Inclination: 6.55°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 330.18°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 147.8°
  • Mean Anomaly: 116.61°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.14500 km
  • Magnitude: 12.92
  • Albedo: 0.385

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,480 days (4.05 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.71 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.01 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.08 AU
  • Rotation Period: 17.29 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Leeuwenhoek 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.