Key Facts

Overview

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

Combes orbits the sun every 1,340 days (3.67 years), coming as close as 2.00 AU and reaching as far as 2.75 AU from the sun. Combes is about 8.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Combes has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.70 hours.

No Close Approaches

Combes's orbit is 1.03 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

Combes's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 12, 1942. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,243 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 Combes:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.376 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1581
  • Inclination: 7.68°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 34.64°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 95.67°
  • Mean Anomaly: 125.5°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.41100 km
  • Magnitude: 13.4
  • Albedo: 0.144

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,340 days (3.67 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.29 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.75 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.00 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.70 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Combes 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.