Key Facts

Overview

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

Peterson orbits the sun every 2,380 days (6.52 years), coming as close as 3.37 AU and reaching as far as 3.61 AU from the sun. Peterson is about 27.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Peterson has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 27.44 hours.

No Close Approaches

Peterson's orbit is 2.43 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

Peterson's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 5, 1972. It was last officially observed on June 30, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,406 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 Peterson:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.49 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0334
  • Inclination: 19.38°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 306.62°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 111.25°
  • Mean Anomaly: 232.41°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 27.07700 km
  • Magnitude: 11.08
  • Albedo: 0.105

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,380 days (6.52 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 15.95 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.61 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.37 AU
  • Rotation Period: 27.44 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Peterson 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.