Key Facts

Overview

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

Fouts orbits the sun every 2,110 days (5.78 years), coming as close as 2.72 AU and reaching as far as 3.71 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Fouts is probably between 6.864 to 15.348 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Fouts has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 8.25 hours.

No Close Approaches

Fouts's orbit is 1.74 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

Fouts's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 14, 1982. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,277 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 Fouts:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.216 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1531
  • Inclination: 2.33°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 150.17°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 297.95°
  • Mean Anomaly: 20.29°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~8.861 km
  • Magnitude: 12.94

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,110 days (5.78 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.58 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.71 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.72 AU
  • Rotation Period: 8.25 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Fouts 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.