Key Facts

Overview

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

Plesetsk orbits the sun every 1,620 days (4.44 years), coming as close as 2.19 AU and reaching as far as 3.20 AU from the sun. Plesetsk is about 7.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Plesetsk has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.56 hours.

No Close Approaches

Plesetsk's orbit is 1.24 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

Plesetsk's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 22, 1954. It was last officially observed on June 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,154 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 Plesetsk:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.696 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1862
  • Inclination: 13.55°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 99.96°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 274.42°
  • Mean Anomaly: 256.71°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.18300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.99
  • Albedo: 0.375

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,620 days (4.44 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.10 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.20 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.19 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.56 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Plesetsk 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.