Key Facts

Overview

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

Knapp orbits the sun every 1,960 days (5.37 years), coming as close as 2.68 AU and reaching as far as 3.46 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Knapp is probably between 1.856 to 4.150 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

Knapp's orbit is 1.68 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

Knapp's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 16, 2001. It was last officially observed on June 22, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 407 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 Knapp:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.07 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1255
  • Inclination: 7.69°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 106.24°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 231.38°
  • Mean Anomaly: 289.79°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.396 km
  • Magnitude: 15.78

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,960 days (5.37 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.04 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.46 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.68 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Knapp 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 Knapp 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.