490171 (2008 UD253)

Mid-sized Asteroid

Space Reference » Asteroids » 490171 (2008 UD253)

Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Asteroid
  • Comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay
  • Not a Near Earth Object
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

490171 (2008 UD253) is a mid-sized asteroid whose orbit does not match any defined asteroid orbital class. NASA JPL has not classified 2008 UD253 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2008 UD253 orbits the sun every 3,800 days (10.40 years), coming as close as 2.46 AU and reaching as far as 7.07 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 2008 UD253 is probably between 3.553 to 7.944 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 2008 UD253 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 12.18 hours.

No Close Approaches

2008 UD253's orbit is 1.47 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

2008 UD253's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 18, 1977. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 391 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 2008 UD253:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 4.767 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.4834
  • Inclination: 13.64°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 35.53°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 355.92°
  • Mean Anomaly: 151.53°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~4.586 km
  • Magnitude: 14.37

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 3,800 days (10.40 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 13.65 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 7.07 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.46 AU
  • Rotation Period: 12.18 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of 490171 (2008 UD253) 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 2008 UD253 to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.