Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Jupiter Trojan
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware (114.62 km diameter)
  • Not a Near Earth Object
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

Odysseus is a large asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit around the sun. NASA JPL has not classified Odysseus as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Odysseus orbits the sun every 4,370 days (11.96 years), coming as close as 4.76 AU and reaching as far as 5.71 AU from the sun. Odysseus is about 114.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Odysseus has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 10.11 hours.

Odysseus's spectral type D (Tholen) / None (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain .

No Close Approaches

Odysseus's orbit is 3.77 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

Odysseus's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 8, 1998. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,086 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 Odysseus:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 5.235 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0916
  • Inclination: 3.14°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 221.23°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 238.07°
  • Mean Anomaly: 346.97°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 114.62400 km
  • Magnitude: 8.37
  • Albedo: 0.050
  • Spectral type (Tholen): D

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 4,370 days (11.96 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 13.03 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.71 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 4.76 AU
  • Rotation Period: 10.11 hours
  • Approx. Composition: .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Odysseus 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.