Key Facts

Overview

7949 (1992 SU) is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1992 SU as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1992 SU orbits the sun every 1,870 days (5.12 years), coming as close as 2.16 AU and reaching as far as 3.78 AU from the sun. 1992 SU is about 16.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

The rotation of 1992 SU has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 17.91 hours.

No Close Approaches

1992 SU's orbit is 1.26 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

1992 SU's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 7, 1989. It was last officially observed on Dec. 17, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,898 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 1992 SU:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.973 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2718
  • Inclination: 17.6°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 176.41°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 262.7°
  • Mean Anomaly: 337.14°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 16.60500 km
  • Magnitude: 12.72
  • Albedo: 0.070

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,870 days (5.12 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.30 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.78 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.16 AU
  • Rotation Period: 17.91 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 7949 (1992 SU) 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.