Key Facts

Overview

Lafontaine is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Lafontaine as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Lafontaine orbits the sun every 2,230 days (6.11 years), coming as close as 2.90 AU and reaching as far as 3.79 AU from the sun. Lafontaine is about 22.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

No Close Approaches

Lafontaine's orbit is 1.91 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

Lafontaine's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 4, 1962. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,195 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 Lafontaine:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.343 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1327
  • Inclination: 8.68°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 233.27°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 115.57°
  • Mean Anomaly: 347.47°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 22.59300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.33
  • Albedo: 0.055

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,230 days (6.11 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.31 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.79 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.90 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Lafontaine 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.