Key Facts

Overview

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

Higginson orbits the sun every 1,590 days (4.35 years), coming as close as 2.29 AU and reaching as far as 3.05 AU from the sun. Higginson is about 9.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

No Close Approaches

Higginson's orbit is 1.32 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

Higginson's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 13, 1950. It was last officially observed on May 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,575 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 Higginson:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.668 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1415
  • Inclination: 12.02°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 138.09°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 83.41°
  • Mean Anomaly: 311.66°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 9.40300 km
  • Magnitude: 13.81
  • Albedo: 0.080

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,590 days (4.35 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.25 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.05 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.29 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Higginson 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.