169230 (2001 SF17)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 169230 (2001 SF17)

Key Facts

Overview

169230 (2001 SF17) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 2001 SF17 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2001 SF17 orbits the sun every 1,940 days (5.31 years), coming as close as 2.75 AU and reaching as far as 3.33 AU from the sun. 2001 SF17 is about 5.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

2001 SF17's orbit is 1.76 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

2001 SF17's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 24, 2001. It was last officially observed on Nov. 15, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 667 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 2001 SF17:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.044 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0955
  • Inclination: 10.63°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 6.28°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 235.14°
  • Mean Anomaly: 164.54°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 5.76900 km
  • Magnitude: 15.07
  • Albedo: 0.070

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,940 days (5.31 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.07 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.33 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.75 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 169230 (2001 SF17) 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 2001 SF17 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.