Key Facts

Overview

6378 (1987 SE13) is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1987 SE13 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1987 SE13 orbits the sun every 2,070 days (5.67 years), coming as close as 2.64 AU and reaching as far as 3.72 AU from the sun. 1987 SE13 is about 12.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

The rotation of 1987 SE13 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.12 hours.

No Close Approaches

1987 SE13's orbit is 1.65 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

1987 SE13's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 1, 1987. It was last officially observed on May 31, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,695 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 1987 SE13:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.177 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1697
  • Inclination: 2.86°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 96.78°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 303.7°
  • Mean Anomaly: 104.78°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 12.66700 km
  • Magnitude: 13.0
  • Albedo: 0.083

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,070 days (5.67 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.70 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.72 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.64 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.12 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of 6378 (1987 SE13) 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.