Bankakuko

8905 Bankakuko (1995 WJ)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Bankakuko

Key Facts

Overview

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

Bankakuko orbits the sun every 1,540 days (4.22 years), coming as close as 1.91 AU and reaching as far as 3.31 AU from the sun. Bankakuko is about 4.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

Bankakuko's orbit is 0.91 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

Bankakuko's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 28, 1978. It was last officially observed on May 11, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,468 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 Bankakuko:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.609 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2691
  • Inclination: 5.69°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 70.9°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 279.76°
  • Mean Anomaly: 259.86°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 4.14200 km
  • Magnitude: 14.4
  • Albedo: 0.284

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,540 days (4.22 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.43 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.31 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.91 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Bankakuko 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 Bankakuko 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.