Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Jupiter Trojan
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island (63.84 km diameter)
  • Not a Near Earth Object
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

Phoinix is a large asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit around the sun. NASA JPL has not classified Phoinix as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Phoinix orbits the sun every 4,260 days (11.66 years), coming as close as 4.64 AU and reaching as far as 5.65 AU from the sun. Phoinix is about 63.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Phoinix has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 38.87 hours.

No Close Approaches

Phoinix's orbit is 3.69 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

Phoinix's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 20, 1955. It was last officially observed on May 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,022 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 Phoinix:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 5.142 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0979
  • Inclination: 14.7°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 325.39°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 85.39°
  • Mean Anomaly: 69.74°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 63.83600 km
  • Magnitude: 9.83
  • Albedo: 0.057

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 4,260 days (11.66 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 13.13 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.65 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 4.64 AU
  • Rotation Period: 38.87 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Phoinix 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.