Key Facts

Overview

Aralia is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Aralia as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Aralia orbits the sun every 2,100 days (5.75 years), coming as close as 2.85 AU and reaching as far as 3.57 AU from the sun. Aralia is about 51.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Aralia has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.37 hours.

Aralia's spectral type None (Tholen) / Xk (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain iron, nickel, and cobalt.

No Close Approaches

Aralia's orbit is 1.92 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

Aralia's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 18, 1922. It was last officially observed on July 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,542 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 Aralia:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.209 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1129
  • Inclination: 15.83°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 348.44°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 87.39°
  • Mean Anomaly: 269.81°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 51.60900 km
  • Magnitude: 10.16
  • Albedo: 0.098
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Xk

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,100 days (5.75 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.62 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.57 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.85 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.37 hours
  • Approx. Composition: iron, nickel, and cobalt.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Aralia 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.