17350 (1968 OJ)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 17350 (1968 OJ)

Key Facts

Overview

17350 (1968 OJ) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1968 OJ as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1968 OJ orbits the sun every 1,660 days (4.54 years), coming as close as 2.37 AU and reaching as far as 3.12 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, 1968 OJ is probably between 3.504 to 7.835 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

No Close Approaches

1968 OJ's orbit is 1.37 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

1968 OJ's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 19, 1968. It was last officially observed on July 1, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,697 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 1968 OJ:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.748 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.136
  • Inclination: 13.22°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 152.91°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 157.24°
  • Mean Anomaly: 36.71°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~4.524 km
  • Magnitude: 14.4

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,660 days (4.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.01 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.12 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.37 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 17350 (1968 OJ) 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 1968 OJ 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.