Key Facts

Overview

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

Giacobini orbits the sun every 1,490 days (4.08 years), coming as close as 1.96 AU and reaching as far as 3.14 AU from the sun. Giacobini is about 10.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Boston.

The rotation of Giacobini has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.85 hours.

No Close Approaches

Giacobini's orbit is 0.97 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Giacobini's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 24, 1937. It was last officially observed on April 1, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,872 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 Giacobini:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.548 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2317
  • Inclination: 5.1°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 290.99°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 100.32°
  • Mean Anomaly: 72.8°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 10.30000 km
  • Magnitude: 12.06
  • Albedo: 0.289

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,490 days (4.08 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.60 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.14 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.96 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.85 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Giacobini 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.