Key Facts

Overview

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

Memphis orbits the sun every 1,510 days (4.13 years), coming as close as 2.46 AU and reaching as far as 2.68 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Memphis is probably between 6.801 to 15.207 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Memphis has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.15 hours.

No Close Approaches

Memphis's orbit is 1.49 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

Memphis's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 17, 1960. It was last officially observed on March 7, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,874 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 Memphis:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.57 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0443
  • Inclination: 14.08°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 345.7°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 252.79°
  • Mean Anomaly: 226.38°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~8.780 km
  • Magnitude: 12.96

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,510 days (4.13 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.52 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.68 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.46 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.15 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Memphis 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.