Key Facts

Overview

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

Thraen orbits the sun every 2,110 days (5.78 years), coming as close as 2.81 AU and reaching as far as 3.63 AU from the sun. Thraen is about 13.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

Thraen's orbit is 1.82 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

Thraen's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 3, 1958. It was last officially observed on May 7, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,534 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 Thraen:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.218 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1282
  • Inclination: 2.93°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 99.32°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 11.87°
  • Mean Anomaly: 37.88°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 13.85400 km
  • Magnitude: 13.12
  • Albedo: 0.064

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,110 days (5.78 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.59 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.63 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.81 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Thraen 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.