281596 (2008 UP161)

Mid-sized Main-belt Asteroid

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » 281596 (2008 UP161)

Key Facts

Overview

281596 (2008 UP161) is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified 2008 UP161 as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

2008 UP161 orbits the sun every 1,640 days (4.49 years), coming as close as 2.61 AU and reaching as far as 2.84 AU from the sun. 2008 UP161 is about 3.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the island of Manhattan.

The rotation of 2008 UP161 has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 4.82 hours.

No Close Approaches

2008 UP161's orbit is 1.62 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

2008 UP161's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 6, 1999. It was last officially observed on Dec. 25, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 340 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 2008 UP161:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.722 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0423
  • Inclination: 3.05°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 216.68°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 246.56°
  • Mean Anomaly: 32.11°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 3.00300 km
  • Magnitude: 16.45
  • Albedo: 0.065

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,640 days (4.49 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.06 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.84 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.61 AU
  • Rotation Period: 4.82 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of 281596 (2008 UP161) 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 2008 UP161 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.