Key Facts

Overview

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

Kilmartin orbits the sun every 1,710 days (4.68 years), coming as close as 2.46 AU and reaching as far as 3.13 AU from the sun. Kilmartin is about 8.6 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Kilmartin has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.84 hours.

No Close Approaches

Kilmartin's orbit is 1.49 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

Kilmartin's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 15, 1904. It was last officially observed on May 9, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,996 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 Kilmartin:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.795 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.12
  • Inclination: 11.0°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 283.61°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 85.31°
  • Mean Anomaly: 147.1°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.58100 km
  • Magnitude: 11.94
  • Albedo: 0.501

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,710 days (4.68 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.78 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.13 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.46 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.84 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Kilmartin 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.