324P/La Sagra

Mid-sized Encke-type Comet

Space Reference » Encke-type Comets » 324P/La Sagra

Key Facts

Overview

324P/La Sagra is a mid-sized comet whose orbit brings it closer to the sun than Jupiter. NASA JPL has not classified 324P/La Sagra as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

324P/La Sagra orbits the sun every 1,990 days (5.45 years), coming as close as 2.62 AU and reaching as far as 3.57 AU from the sun. 324P/La Sagra is about 1.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

324P/La Sagra'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

324P/La Sagra's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 12, 2010. It was last officially observed on Nov. 10, 2021. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 500 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This comet 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 324P/La Sagra:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2456273.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.094 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1538
  • Inclination: 21.42°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 270.65°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 58.9°
  • Mean Anomaly: 163.57°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 1.60000 km
  • Magnitude: 7.5
  • Albedo: 0.010

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,990 days (5.45 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.91 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.57 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.62 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 324P/La Sagra 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 324P/La Sagra to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.