Key Facts

Overview

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

Franke orbits the sun every 1,300 days (3.56 years), coming as close as 1.85 AU and reaching as far as 2.81 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Franke is probably between 5.869 to 13.123 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Franke has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.38 hours.

No Close Approaches

Franke's orbit is 0.85 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

Franke's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 26, 1929. It was last officially observed on June 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,575 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 Franke:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.326 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2067
  • Inclination: 3.36°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 312.56°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 72.09°
  • Mean Anomaly: 174.39°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~7.577 km
  • Magnitude: 13.28

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,300 days (3.56 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.47 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.81 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.85 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.38 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Franke 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.