Key Facts

Overview

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

Solnhofen orbits the sun every 1,290 days (3.53 years), coming as close as 1.96 AU and reaching as far as 2.67 AU from the sun. Solnhofen 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 Solnhofen has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 11.52 hours.

No Close Approaches

Solnhofen's orbit is 0.95 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Solnhofen's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 29, 1916. It was last officially observed on March 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,825 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 Solnhofen:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.313 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1535
  • Inclination: 9.46°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 306.5°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 19.02°
  • Mean Anomaly: 143.2°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.14000 km
  • Magnitude: 12.99
  • Albedo: 0.316

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,290 days (3.53 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.51 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.67 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.96 AU
  • Rotation Period: 11.52 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Solnhofen 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.