Key Facts

Overview

Oulu is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Oulu as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Oulu orbits the sun every 2,880 days (7.89 years), coming as close as 3.40 AU and reaching as far as 4.53 AU from the sun. Oulu is about 79.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Oulu has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 132.30 hours.

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

No Close Approaches

Oulu's orbit is 2.39 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

Oulu's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 12, 1939. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,435 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 Oulu:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.964 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1421
  • Inclination: 6.47°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 10.05°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 237.58°
  • Mean Anomaly: 249.66°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 79.87200 km
  • Magnitude: 9.53
  • Albedo: 0.039
  • Spectral type (Tholen): P

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,880 days (7.89 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 14.97 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.53 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.40 AU
  • Rotation Period: 132.30 hours
  • Approx. Composition: .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Oulu 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.