Key Facts

Overview

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

Adamsmith orbits the sun every 1,790 days (4.90 years), coming as close as 2.68 AU and reaching as far as 3.08 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Adamsmith is probably between 6.260 to 13.997 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Adamsmith has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 10.91 hours.

No Close Approaches

Adamsmith's orbit is 1.69 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

Adamsmith's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 26, 1987. It was last officially observed on July 2, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,401 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 Adamsmith:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.882 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0685
  • Inclination: 1.16°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 321.97°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 89.81°
  • Mean Anomaly: 277.54°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~8.081 km
  • Magnitude: 13.14

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,790 days (4.90 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.52 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.08 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.68 AU
  • Rotation Period: 10.91 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Adamsmith 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.