Key Facts

Overview

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

Saaremaa orbits the sun every 1,920 days (5.26 years), coming as close as 2.89 AU and reaching as far as 3.16 AU from the sun. Saaremaa is about 19.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Denver.

No Close Approaches

Saaremaa's orbit is 1.90 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

Saaremaa's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 3, 1941. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,858 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 Saaremaa:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.023 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.044
  • Inclination: 11.08°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 128.78°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 10.11°
  • Mean Anomaly: 305.2°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 19.93000 km
  • Magnitude: 11.54
  • Albedo: 0.086

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,920 days (5.26 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.13 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.16 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.89 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Saaremaa 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.