Ropakov

41107 Ropakov (1999 VX72)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Ropakov

Key Facts

Overview

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

Ropakov orbits the sun every 1,420 days (3.89 years), coming as close as 1.83 AU and reaching as far as 3.11 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Ropakov is probably between 1.772 to 3.963 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of Ropakov has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 16.92 hours.

No Close Approaches

Ropakov's orbit is 0.83 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

Ropakov's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 13, 1991. It was last officially observed on March 11, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,499 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 Ropakov:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.471 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2586
  • Inclination: 5.41°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 22.82°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 311.79°
  • Mean Anomaly: 99.72°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.288 km
  • Magnitude: 15.88

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,420 days (3.89 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.93 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.11 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.83 AU
  • Rotation Period: 16.92 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Ropakov 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of Ropakov to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.