Key Facts

Overview

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

Malbil orbits the sun every 1,400 days (3.83 years), coming as close as 2.07 AU and reaching as far as 2.83 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Malbil is probably between 5.477 to 12.247 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

Malbil's orbit is 1.10 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

Malbil's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 24, 1982. It was last officially observed on Nov. 28, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,065 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 Malbil:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.45 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1541
  • Inclination: 7.05°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 151.01°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 294.38°
  • Mean Anomaly: 345.24°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~7.071 km
  • Magnitude: 13.43

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,400 days (3.83 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.04 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.83 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.07 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Malbil 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.