Key Facts

Overview

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

Prast orbits the sun every 2,050 days (5.61 years), coming as close as 2.69 AU and reaching as far as 3.63 AU from the sun. Prast is about 19.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Denver.

No Close Approaches

Prast's orbit is 1.71 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

Prast's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 24, 1952. It was last officially observed on March 18, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,580 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 Prast:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.162 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1489
  • Inclination: 2.32°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 63.59°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 61.23°
  • Mean Anomaly: 347.44°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 19.24200 km
  • Magnitude: 12.44
  • Albedo: 0.083

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,050 days (5.61 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.78 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.63 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.69 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Prast 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.