Key Facts

Overview

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

Van Damme orbits the sun every 1,530 days (4.19 years), coming as close as 2.19 AU and reaching as far as 3.02 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Van Damme is probably between 6.089 to 13.616 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

Van Damme's orbit is 1.18 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

Van Damme's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 19, 1971. It was last officially observed on April 2, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,542 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 Van Damme:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.603 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1587
  • Inclination: 13.14°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 310.01°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 7.71°
  • Mean Anomaly: 142.81°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~7.861 km
  • Magnitude: 13.2

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,530 days (4.19 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.51 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.02 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.19 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Van Damme 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.