Key Facts

Overview

8510 (1991 PT8) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1991 PT8 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1991 PT8 orbits the sun every 1,880 days (5.15 years), coming as close as 2.63 AU and reaching as far as 3.34 AU from the sun. 1991 PT8 is about 7.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1991 PT8's orbit is 1.67 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

1991 PT8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 5, 1991. It was last officially observed on Nov. 23, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,107 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 1991 PT8:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.985 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1206
  • Inclination: 11.8°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 154.58°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 279.01°
  • Mean Anomaly: 337.43°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.64700 km
  • Magnitude: 13.72
  • Albedo: 0.132

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,880 days (5.15 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.27 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.34 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.63 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 8510 (1991 PT8) 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.