14538 (1997 RR8)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 14538 (1997 RR8)

Key Facts

Overview

14538 (1997 RR8) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1997 RR8 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1997 RR8 orbits the sun every 1,890 days (5.17 years), coming as close as 2.80 AU and reaching as far as 3.17 AU from the sun. 1997 RR8 is about 6.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1997 RR8 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 21.37 hours.

No Close Approaches

1997 RR8's orbit is 1.80 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

1997 RR8's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 3, 1992. It was last officially observed on June 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,193 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 RR8:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.987 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0627
  • Inclination: 10.06°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 193.2°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 71.7°
  • Mean Anomaly: 105.76°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 6.09200 km
  • Magnitude: 13.85
  • Albedo: 0.189

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,890 days (5.17 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.19 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.17 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.80 AU
  • Rotation Period: 21.37 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 14538 (1997 RR8) 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 RR8 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.