An-Eefje

8289 An-Eefje (1992 JQ3)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » An-Eefje

Key Facts

Overview

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

An-Eefje orbits the sun every 1,180 days (3.23 years), coming as close as 1.85 AU and reaching as far as 2.53 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, An-Eefje is probably between 3.504 to 7.835 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

An-Eefje's orbit is 0.83 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

An-Eefje's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 28, 1979. It was last officially observed on Jan. 24, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,136 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 An-Eefje:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.191 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.156
  • Inclination: 2.53°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 267.52°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 346.52°
  • Mean Anomaly: 212.5°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~4.524 km
  • Magnitude: 14.4

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,180 days (3.23 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.20 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.53 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.85 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of An-Eefje 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of An-Eefje to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.