Key Facts

Overview

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

Kelsey orbits the sun every 1,600 days (4.38 years), coming as close as 2.22 AU and reaching as far as 3.14 AU from the sun. Kelsey is about 11.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

The rotation of Kelsey has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.11 hours.

No Close Approaches

Kelsey's orbit is 1.21 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

Kelsey's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 2, 1949. It was last officially observed on June 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,583 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 Kelsey:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.677 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1716
  • Inclination: 11.94°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 325.52°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 7.56°
  • Mean Anomaly: 323.9°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 11.19600 km
  • Magnitude: 12.23
  • Albedo: 0.140

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,600 days (4.38 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.20 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.14 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.22 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.11 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Kelsey 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.