Key Facts

Overview

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

Connelly orbits the sun every 1,520 days (4.16 years), coming as close as 1.88 AU and reaching as far as 3.30 AU from the sun. Connelly is about 7.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Connelly has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.90 hours.

No Close Approaches

Connelly's orbit is 0.92 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Connelly's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 3, 1981. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,947 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 Connelly:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.59 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2732
  • Inclination: 11.83°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 274.5°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 84.55°
  • Mean Anomaly: 14.86°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.16100 km
  • Magnitude: 12.94
  • Albedo: 0.286

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,520 days (4.16 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.54 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.30 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.88 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.90 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Connelly 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.