Key Facts

Overview

19943 (1981 EB31) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1981 EB31 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1981 EB31 orbits the sun every 1,920 days (5.26 years), coming as close as 2.72 AU and reaching as far as 3.34 AU from the sun. 1981 EB31 is about 7.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

1981 EB31's orbit is 1.72 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

1981 EB31's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 9, 1981. It was last officially observed on May 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,491 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 1981 EB31:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.028 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1028
  • Inclination: 6.43°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 165.1°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 7.25°
  • Mean Anomaly: 26.41°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.16000 km
  • Magnitude: 14.52
  • Albedo: 0.060

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,920 days (5.26 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.16 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.34 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.72 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 19943 (1981 EB31) 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.