Key Facts

Overview

Hancock is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Hancock as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Hancock orbits the sun every 2,130 days (5.83 years), coming as close as 2.87 AU and reaching as far as 3.60 AU from the sun. Hancock is about 53.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Hancock has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.71 hours.

No Close Approaches

Hancock's orbit is 1.97 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

Hancock's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 16, 1969. It was last officially observed on Feb. 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,169 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 Hancock:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.236 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1126
  • Inclination: 21.56°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 263.75°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 256.04°
  • Mean Anomaly: 261.21°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 53.11200 km
  • Magnitude: 10.82
  • Albedo: 0.019

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,130 days (5.83 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.53 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.60 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.87 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.71 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Hancock 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.