Key Facts

Overview

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

Bertholda orbits the sun every 2,320 days (6.35 years), coming as close as 3.34 AU and reaching as far as 3.52 AU from the sun. Bertholda is about 138.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Connecticut.

The rotation of Bertholda has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 10.99 hours.

Bertholda's spectral type P (Tholen) / None (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain .

No Close Approaches

Bertholda's orbit is 2.36 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

Bertholda's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 26, 1900. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,450 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 Bertholda:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.427 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0264
  • Inclination: 6.7°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 242.42°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 229.21°
  • Mean Anomaly: 272.95°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 138.69900 km
  • Magnitude: 8.38
  • Albedo: 0.044
  • Spectral type (Tholen): P

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,320 days (6.35 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.52 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.34 AU
  • Rotation Period: 10.99 hours
  • Approx. Composition: .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Bertholda 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.