12605 (1999 SK)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 12605 (1999 SK)

Key Facts

Overview

12605 (1999 SK) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1999 SK as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1999 SK orbits the sun every 1,490 days (4.08 years), coming as close as 2.29 AU and reaching as far as 2.83 AU from the sun. 1999 SK is about 3.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

1999 SK's orbit is 1.27 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

1999 SK's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 4, 1991. It was last officially observed on June 26, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,842 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 1999 SK:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.556 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1058
  • Inclination: 1.98°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 159.56°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 170.29°
  • Mean Anomaly: 345.64°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.00100 km
  • Magnitude: 15.02
  • Albedo: 0.198

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,490 days (4.08 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.66 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.83 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.29 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 12605 (1999 SK) 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 1999 SK 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.