Key Facts

Overview

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

Malin orbits the sun every 1,520 days (4.16 years), coming as close as 2.24 AU and reaching as far as 2.94 AU from the sun. Malin is about 7.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Malin has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 32.22 hours.

No Close Approaches

Malin's orbit is 1.26 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

Malin's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 24, 1981. It was last officially observed on Dec. 26, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 5,398 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 Malin:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.592 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1356
  • Inclination: 14.21°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 96.29°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 357.48°
  • Mean Anomaly: 339.85°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.43900 km
  • Magnitude: 12.88
  • Albedo: 0.273

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,520 days (4.16 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.55 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.94 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.24 AU
  • Rotation Period: 32.22 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Malin 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.