Pallas

2 Pallas (A802 FA)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Pallas

Key Facts

Overview

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

Pallas orbits the sun every 1,680 days (4.60 years), coming as close as 2.13 AU and reaching as far as 3.41 AU from the sun. Pallas is about 513.0 kilometers in diameter, making it one of the largest objects, comparable in size to Great Britain.

The rotation of Pallas has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.81 hours.

Pallas's spectral type B (Tholen) / B (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, and iron.

No Close Approaches

Pallas's orbit is 1.23 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

Pallas's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 27, 1804. It was last officially observed on June 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 9,090 observations used to determine its orbit.

Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:

View asteroid Pallas in 3D.

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 Pallas:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.77 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2302
  • Inclination: 34.93°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 172.92°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 310.87°
  • Mean Anomaly: 40.6°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 513.00000 km
  • Magnitude: 4.12
  • Albedo: 0.155
  • Spectral type (Tholen): B
  • Spectral type (SMASS): B

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,680 days (4.60 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.94 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.41 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.13 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.81 hours
  • Approx. Composition: hydrogen, nitrogen, ammonia, and iron.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Pallas 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.