85118 (1971 UU)

Mid-sized Mars-crossing Asteroid

Space Reference » Mars-crossing Asteroids » 85118 (1971 UU)

Key Facts

Overview

85118 (1971 UU) is a mid-sized asteroid with an orbit that crosses the orbit of Mars. NASA JPL has not classified 1971 UU as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

1971 UU orbits the sun every 1,540 days (4.22 years), coming as close as 1.59 AU and reaching as far as 3.62 AU from the sun. 1971 UU is about 4.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of 1971 UU has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 10.10 hours.

No Close Approaches

1971 UU's orbit is 0.58 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

1971 UU's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 26, 1971. It was last officially observed on April 14, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 816 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 1971 UU:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.605 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.3911
  • Inclination: 2.21°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 218.93°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 141.1°
  • Mean Anomaly: 128.87°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 4.82800 km
  • Magnitude: 15.69
  • Albedo: 0.055

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,540 days (4.22 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.40 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.62 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.59 AU
  • Rotation Period: 10.10 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 85118 (1971 UU) 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.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of 1971 UU to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.