Key Facts

Overview

Azabu is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Azabu as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Azabu orbits the sun every 2,870 days (7.86 years), coming as close as 3.43 AU and reaching as far as 4.47 AU from the sun. Azabu is about 10.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Boston.

The rotation of Azabu has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 7.67 hours.

No Close Approaches

Azabu's orbit is 2.44 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

Azabu's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 8, 1954. It was last officially observed on April 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,129 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 Azabu:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.953 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1311
  • Inclination: 2.77°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 75.06°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 108.6°
  • Mean Anomaly: 297.28°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 10.18400 km
  • Magnitude: 12.24
  • Albedo: 0.324

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,870 days (7.86 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 14.98 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.47 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.43 AU
  • Rotation Period: 7.67 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Azabu 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.