Key Facts

Overview

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

Byron orbits the sun every 1,230 days (3.37 years), coming as close as 1.92 AU and reaching as far as 2.57 AU from the sun. Byron is about 7.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Byron has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.32 hours.

Byron's spectral type None (Tholen) / S (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain and .

No Close Approaches

Byron's orbit is 0.91 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

Byron's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 7, 1962. It was last officially observed on July 1, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,759 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 Byron:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.249 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1444
  • Inclination: 4.53°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 213.29°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 64.86°
  • Mean Anomaly: 104.31°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.61000 km
  • Magnitude: 12.98
  • Albedo: 0.282
  • Spectral type (SMASS): S

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,230 days (3.37 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.89 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.57 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.92 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.32 hours
  • Approx. Composition: and .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Byron 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.