Key Facts

Overview

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

Weiser orbits the sun every 2,080 days (5.69 years), coming as close as 2.64 AU and reaching as far as 3.75 AU from the sun. Weiser is about 16.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

No Close Approaches

Weiser's orbit is 1.67 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

Weiser's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 4, 1989. It was last officially observed on June 29, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,160 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 Weiser:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.194 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1733
  • Inclination: 6.88°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 350.84°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 94.2°
  • Mean Anomaly: 305.34°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 16.51700 km
  • Magnitude: 13.11
  • Albedo: 0.054

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,080 days (5.69 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.71 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.75 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.64 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Weiser 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.