Braille

9969 Braille (1992 KD)

Space Reference » Mars-crossing Asteroids » Braille

Key Facts

Overview

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

Braille orbits the sun every 1,310 days (3.59 years), coming as close as 1.32 AU and reaching as far as 3.36 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Braille is probably between 1.669 to 3.733 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

The rotation of Braille has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 226.40 hours.

Braille's spectral type None (Tholen) / Q (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain .

No Close Approaches

Braille's orbit is 0.31 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a 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

Braille's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 27, 1992. It was last officially observed on Dec. 26, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 582 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 Braille:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.34 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.434
  • Inclination: 29.02°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 241.9°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 356.16°
  • Mean Anomaly: 262.21°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.155 km
  • Magnitude: 16.01
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Q

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,310 days (3.59 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.43 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.36 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.32 AU
  • Rotation Period: 226.40 hours
  • Approx. Composition: .

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Braille 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 Braille 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.