Key Facts

Overview

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

Beiyou orbits the sun every 2,120 days (5.80 years), coming as close as 2.71 AU and reaching as far as 3.75 AU from the sun. Beiyou is about 8.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Beiyou has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.44 hours.

No Close Approaches

Beiyou's orbit is 1.78 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

Beiyou's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 9, 1992. It was last officially observed on June 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,292 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 Beiyou:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.227 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1613
  • Inclination: 26.24°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 117.67°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 117.89°
  • Mean Anomaly: 73.69°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.02300 km
  • Magnitude: 14.15
  • Albedo: 0.083

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,120 days (5.80 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.56 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.75 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.71 AU
  • Rotation Period: 4.44 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Beiyou 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.