Key Facts

Overview

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

Geffert orbits the sun every 2,000 days (5.48 years), coming as close as 2.69 AU and reaching as far as 3.53 AU from the sun. Geffert is about 14.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Baltimore.

The rotation of Geffert has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.47 hours.

No Close Approaches

Geffert's orbit is 1.71 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

Geffert's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Nov. 29, 1951. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,160 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 Geffert:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.106 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1352
  • Inclination: 5.2°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 244.3°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 227.05°
  • Mean Anomaly: 331.97°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 14.75400 km
  • Magnitude: 13.1
  • Albedo: 0.062

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,000 days (5.48 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.90 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.53 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.69 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.47 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Geffert 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.