Key Facts

Overview

6759 (1980 KD) is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1980 KD as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1980 KD orbits the sun every 2,130 days (5.83 years), coming as close as 2.61 AU and reaching as far as 3.86 AU from the sun. 1980 KD is about 18.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

The rotation of 1980 KD has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 19.35 hours.

No Close Approaches

1980 KD's orbit is 1.62 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

1980 KD's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 24, 1954. It was last officially observed on Dec. 15, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,428 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 1980 KD:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.237 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1939
  • Inclination: 8.61°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 130.06°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 83.57°
  • Mean Anomaly: 196.74°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 18.67300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.74
  • Albedo: 0.061

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,130 days (5.83 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.53 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.86 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.61 AU
  • Rotation Period: 19.35 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 6759 (1980 KD) 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.