Key Facts

Overview

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

Saltykov orbits the sun every 1,760 days (4.82 years), coming as close as 2.39 AU and reaching as far as 3.31 AU from the sun. Saltykov is about 24.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Saltykov has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 35.36 hours.

No Close Approaches

Saltykov's orbit is 1.42 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

Saltykov's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 12, 1978. It was last officially observed on March 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,669 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 Saltykov:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.849 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1613
  • Inclination: 13.51°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 242.2°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 70.87°
  • Mean Anomaly: 137.12°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 24.80500 km
  • Magnitude: 12.02
  • Albedo: 0.044

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,760 days (4.82 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.61 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.31 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.39 AU
  • Rotation Period: 35.36 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Saltykov 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.