Key Facts

Overview

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

Earhart orbits the sun every 1,320 days (3.61 years), coming as close as 1.92 AU and reaching as far as 2.78 AU from the sun. Earhart is about 10.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Boston.

The rotation of Earhart has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.56 hours.

No Close Approaches

Earhart's orbit is 0.93 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

Earhart's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 27, 1955. It was last officially observed on June 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 5,781 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 Earhart:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.351 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.182
  • Inclination: 24.36°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 150.77°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 9.26°
  • Mean Anomaly: 40.89°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 10.38400 km
  • Magnitude: 12.05
  • Albedo: 0.281

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,320 days (3.61 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.38 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.78 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.92 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.56 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Earhart 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.