Key Facts

Overview

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

Neufang orbits the sun every 1,890 days (5.17 years), coming as close as 1.86 AU and reaching as far as 4.12 AU from the sun. Neufang is about 23.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Neufang has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.87 hours.

No Close Approaches

Neufang's orbit is 0.92 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

Neufang's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 26, 1959. It was last officially observed on April 17, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,724 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 Neufang:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.991 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.377
  • Inclination: 18.11°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 87.26°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 239.88°
  • Mean Anomaly: 117.14°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 23.81600 km
  • Magnitude: 11.96
  • Albedo: 0.074

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,890 days (5.17 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.22 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.12 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.86 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.87 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Neufang 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.