Key Facts

  • Categorized as a Jupiter Trojan
  • Comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island (40.65 km diameter)
  • Not a Near Earth Object
  • Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
  • See orbit simulation

Overview

Agathon is a large asteroid that shares Jupiter's orbit around the sun. NASA JPL has not classified Agathon as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Agathon orbits the sun every 4,510 days (12.35 years), coming as close as 5.13 AU and reaching as far as 5.55 AU from the sun. Agathon is about 40.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Rhode Island.

The rotation of Agathon has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 42.39 hours.

No Close Approaches

Agathon's orbit is 4.13 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

Agathon's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 29, 1995. It was last officially observed on June 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,058 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 Agathon:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 5.342 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0388
  • Inclination: 7.48°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 27.25°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 327.13°
  • Mean Anomaly: 326.27°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 40.64500 km
  • Magnitude: 11.03
  • Albedo: 0.047

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 4,510 days (12.35 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 12.89 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 5.55 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 5.13 AU
  • Rotation Period: 42.39 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Agathon 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.