Key Facts

Overview

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

Breysacher orbits the sun every 2,100 days (5.75 years), coming as close as 2.67 AU and reaching as far as 3.74 AU from the sun. Breysacher is about 21.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Breysacher has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.39 hours.

No Close Approaches

Breysacher's orbit is 1.66 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

Breysacher's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 5, 1954. It was last officially observed on June 17, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,584 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 Breysacher:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.205 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1679
  • Inclination: 0.55°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 208.04°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 128.9°
  • Mean Anomaly: 329.85°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 21.24500 km
  • Magnitude: 12.07
  • Albedo: 0.082

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,100 days (5.75 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.60 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.74 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.67 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.39 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Breysacher 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.