Key Facts

Overview

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

Leavitt orbits the sun every 1,760 days (4.82 years), coming as close as 2.60 AU and reaching as far as 3.12 AU from the sun. Leavitt is about 7.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Leavitt has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.18 hours.

No Close Approaches

Leavitt's orbit is 1.60 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

Leavitt's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 21, 1954. It was last officially observed on April 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,997 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 Leavitt:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.857 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0913
  • Inclination: 3.28°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 92.21°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 271.0°
  • Mean Anomaly: 125.57°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.45600 km
  • Magnitude: 13.28
  • Albedo: 0.220

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,760 days (4.82 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.66 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.12 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.60 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.18 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Leavitt 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.