Key Facts

Overview

8427 (1997 TH17) is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1997 TH17 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1997 TH17 orbits the sun every 1,980 days (5.42 years), coming as close as 2.80 AU and reaching as far as 3.36 AU from the sun. 1997 TH17 is about 17.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

The rotation of 1997 TH17 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.53 hours.

No Close Approaches

1997 TH17's orbit is 1.82 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

1997 TH17's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 11, 1978. It was last officially observed on July 1, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,363 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 1997 TH17:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.083 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0911
  • Inclination: 10.55°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 147.92°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 346.16°
  • Mean Anomaly: 177.73°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 16.95300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.49
  • Albedo: 0.047

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,980 days (5.42 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.94 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.36 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.80 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.53 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 8427 (1997 TH17) 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.