Key Facts

Overview

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

Ningbo orbits the sun every 2,070 days (5.67 years), coming as close as 2.64 AU and reaching as far as 3.72 AU from the sun. Ningbo is about 21.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Ningbo has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.40 hours.

No Close Approaches

Ningbo's orbit is 1.62 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

Ningbo's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 16, 1952. It was last officially observed on May 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,137 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 Ningbo:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.18 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1699
  • Inclination: 1.05°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 162.73°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 109.12°
  • Mean Anomaly: 261.22°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 21.67700 km
  • Magnitude: 12.12
  • Albedo: 0.094

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,070 days (5.67 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.71 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.72 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.64 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.40 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Ningbo 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.