Key Facts

Overview

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

Sternberga orbits the sun every 1,550 days (4.24 years), coming as close as 2.18 AU and reaching as far as 3.06 AU from the sun. Sternberga is about 20.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Sternberga has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 22.39 hours.

No Close Approaches

Sternberga's orbit is 1.20 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

Sternberga's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 16, 1903. It was last officially observed on June 27, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,231 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 Sternberga:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.616 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.168
  • Inclination: 13.05°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 221.67°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 122.13°
  • Mean Anomaly: 192.43°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 20.22200 km
  • Magnitude: 10.18
  • Albedo: 0.192

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,550 days (4.24 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.36 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.06 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.18 AU
  • Rotation Period: 22.39 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Sternberga 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.