1 day / second
0.5 AU
An irregularly shaped, 19 x 12 x 11 kilometer S-type asteroid discovered in 1916 that became the first asteroid ever photographed up close when the Galileo spacecraft flew past it in 1991.
orbital regime | Asteroid Belt |
learn more | Wikipedia |
mass | 2.5000e+15 kg |
radius | 6.1 km |
hill radius | 2,045.341 km |
semi-major axis | 2.21 AU |
eccentricity | 0.173 |
inclination | 4.106º |
longitude of the ascending node | 252.989º |
argument of periapsis | 129.955º |
orbital period | 3.285 years |
discovery date | July 30, 1916 |
discovered by | Grigory Neujmin at Simeiz Observatory |
name origins | Named after Gaspra, a Black Sea resort in Crimea |
dimensions | 12.2 kilometers in diameter |
density | 2.7 g/cm³ |
albedo | 0.22 |
material composition | S-type asteroid (silicaceous/stony composition) |
Flyby
Launched in 1989, visited in 1991
On October 29, 1991, Galileo became the first spacecraft to encounter an asteroid when it flew within 1,600 kilometers of Gaspra, capturing detailed images of its irregular, cratered surface.
A small, heavily cratered moon that orbits so close to Mars that it will eventually break apart or crash into the planet due to tidal forces.
A long-duration orbiter launched in 2003 that has spent over 19 years studying Mars's atmosphere, surface, and moons while also serving as a vital communications relay for surface missions.
The first spacecraft to visit Mercury conducted three flybys between 1974-1975, capturing over 2,800 photos and revealing previously unknown features including the planet's scarred, cratered surface and weak magnetic field.
2024-2025
@gordonhart/atlasof.space