Key Facts
- Categorized as a Main-belt Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the island of Manhattan (3.27 km diameter)
- Not a Near Earth Object
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
8938 (1997 AF21) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 1997 AF21 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.
1997 AF21 orbits the sun every 1,150 days (3.15 years), coming as close as 1.71 AU and reaching as far as 2.58 AU from the sun. 1997 AF21 is about 3.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.
No Close Approaches
1997 AF21's orbit is 0.70 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
1997 AF21's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 18, 1939. It was last officially observed on May 24, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,482 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 1997 AF21:References
Search
or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 2.144 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.2033
- Inclination: 2.48°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 2.07°
- Argument of Periapsis: 339.67°
- Mean Anomaly: 287.87°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 3.27400 km
- Magnitude: 14.81
- Albedo: 0.261
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 1,150 days (3.15 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.28 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 2.58 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.71 AU
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of 8938 (1997 AF21) 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 1997 AF21 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.
