Key Facts

Overview

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

Honig orbits the sun every 2,880 days (7.89 years), coming as close as 3.48 AU and reaching as far as 4.43 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Honig is probably between 5.657 to 12.649 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Honig has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.30 hours.

No Close Approaches

Honig's orbit is 2.48 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

Honig's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 6, 1954. It was last officially observed on June 17, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,141 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 Honig:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.958 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1201
  • Inclination: 9.4°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 9.95°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 296.01°
  • Mean Anomaly: 326.13°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~7.303 km
  • Magnitude: 13.36

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,880 days (7.89 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 14.95 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 4.43 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.48 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.30 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Honig 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.