10212 (1997 RA7)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 10212 (1997 RA7)

Key Facts

Overview

10212 (1997 RA7) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1997 RA7 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1997 RA7 orbits the sun every 1,170 days (3.20 years), coming as close as 1.97 AU and reaching as far as 2.37 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1997 RA7 is probably between 3.968 to 8.872 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1997 RA7 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 9.15 hours.

No Close Approaches

1997 RA7's orbit is 0.95 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

1997 RA7's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 12, 1977. It was last officially observed on Oct. 21, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,860 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 1997 RA7:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.169 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0916
  • Inclination: 2.4°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 243.01°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 21.74°
  • Mean Anomaly: 124.63°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~5.122 km
  • Magnitude: 14.13

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,170 days (3.20 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.17 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.37 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.97 AU
  • Rotation Period: 9.15 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 10212 (1997 RA7) 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 1997 RA7 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.