Key Facts

Overview

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

Pindarus orbits the sun every 2,890 days (7.91 years), coming as close as 3.50 AU and reaching as far as 4.44 AU from the sun. Pindarus is about 30.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Pindarus has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 415.50 hours.

No Close Approaches

Pindarus's orbit is 2.50 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

Pindarus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 19, 1973. It was last officially observed on April 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,621 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 Pindarus:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.97 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1192
  • Inclination: 9.28°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 163.87°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 104.31°
  • Mean Anomaly: 192.67°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 30.40200 km
  • Magnitude: 11.69
  • Albedo: 0.053

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,890 days (7.91 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 14.94 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.44 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.50 AU
  • Rotation Period: 415.50 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Pindarus 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.