Key Facts

Overview

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

Anacostia orbits the sun every 1,660 days (4.54 years), coming as close as 2.19 AU and reaching as far as 3.30 AU from the sun. Anacostia is about 74.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Anacostia has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 20.12 hours.

Anacostia's spectral type SU (Tholen) / L (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.

No Close Approaches

Anacostia's orbit is 1.24 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

Anacostia's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 15, 1929. It was last officially observed on June 6, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,257 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 Anacostia:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.741 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2022
  • Inclination: 15.9°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 285.78°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 69.74°
  • Mean Anomaly: 163.02°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 74.67900 km
  • Magnitude: 7.96
  • Albedo: 0.229
  • Spectral type (Tholen): SU
  • Spectral type (SMASS): L

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,660 days (4.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.96 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.30 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.19 AU
  • Rotation Period: 20.12 hours
  • Approx. Composition: magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Anacostia 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.