8779 (1971 UH1)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 8779 (1971 UH1)

Key Facts

Overview

8779 (1971 UH1) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1971 UH1 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1971 UH1 orbits the sun every 2,070 days (5.67 years), coming as close as 2.55 AU and reaching as far as 3.81 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1971 UH1 is probably between 5.255 to 11.750 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1971 UH1 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.33 hours.

No Close Approaches

1971 UH1's orbit is 1.54 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

1971 UH1's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 26, 1971. It was last officially observed on Feb. 1, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,543 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 1971 UH1:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.181 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1989
  • Inclination: 2.82°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 84.37°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 253.76°
  • Mean Anomaly: 70.7°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~6.784 km
  • Magnitude: 13.52

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,070 days (5.67 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.72 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.81 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.55 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.33 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 8779 (1971 UH1) 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 1971 UH1 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.