The table below lists asteroids that are currently bright enough for amateur telescopes. Near-earth objects are not included in this list.
For detailed information about one of the listed asteroids, click on its name/designation.
| Asteroid |
Today |
Opposition |
| designation |
magn |
radius |
delta |
elong |
phase |
date |
magn |
radius |
delta |
elong |
phase |
| (4) Vesta | 8.1 | 2.34 AU | 3.15 AU | 30.8° | 12.9° | 19 Jun 2018 | 5.3 | 2.16 AU | 1.14 AU | 176.2° | 1.8° |
| (7) Iris | 9.3 | 1.96 AU | 1.58 AU | 95.4° | 31.1° | 30 Oct 2017 | 6.9 | 1.84 AU | 0.85 AU | 171.8° | 4.4° |
| (6) Hebe | 9.5 | 2.45 AU | 1.64 AU | 133.0° | 17.7° | 17 Jun 2017 | 9.2 | 2.53 AU | 1.55 AU | 160.4° | 7.7° |
| (2) Pallas | 9.6 | 2.77 AU | 2.66 AU | 85.6° | 21.4° | 29 Oct 2017 | 8.2 | 2.54 AU | 1.70 AU | 140.5° | 14.4° |
| (10) Hygiea | 9.8 | 2.88 AU | 1.96 AU | 150.5° | 10.0° | 29 Jun 2017 | 9.1 | 2.86 AU | 1.85 AU | 178.9° | 0.4° |
| (89) Julia | 9.9 | 2.11 AU | 1.31 AU | 130.2° | 21.5° | 8 Sep 2017 | 9.0 | 2.08 AU | 1.10 AU | 162.3° | 8.5° |
| (3) Juno | 9.9 | 3.03 AU | 2.12 AU | 148.0° | 10.2° | 2 Jul 2017 | 9.8 | 3.08 AU | 2.10 AU | 161.9° | 5.9° |
| (25) Phocaea | 10.1 | 1.79 AU | 0.94 AU | 132.6° | 24.6° | 11 Aug 2017 | 10.0 | 1.80 AU | 0.93 AU | 135.9° | 23.1° |
| (40) Harmonia | 10.3 | 2.25 AU | 1.36 AU | 142.4° | 16.0° | 23 Jun 2017 | 9.3 | 2.27 AU | 1.25 AU | 179.4° | 0.3° |
| (324) Bamberga | 10.6 | 2.41 AU | 1.54 AU | 140.3° | 15.7° | 23 Jun 2017 | 10.3 | 2.53 AU | 1.54 AU | 164.7° | 6.1° |
| (8) Flora | 10.6 | 1.86 AU | 2.20 AU | 57.0° | 27.3° | 2 Jan 2018 | 8.2 | 2.02 AU | 1.03 AU | 177.9° | 1.0° |
| (419) Aurelia | 10.6 | 2.03 AU | 1.04 AU | 162.0° | 8.9° | 9 Aug 2017 | 10.4 | 2.06 AU | 1.05 AU | 172.3° | 3.8° |
| (270) Anahita | 10.8 | 1.94 AU | 0.96 AU | 157.5° | 11.6° | 7 Jul 2017 | 10.3 | 1.96 AU | 0.94 AU | 177.5° | 1.3° |
| (704) Interamnia | 11.0 | 2.62 AU | 2.11 AU | 108.7° | 21.6° | 1 Oct 2017 | 9.9 | 2.59 AU | 1.66 AU | 152.4° | 10.3° |
| (216) Kleopatra | 11.0 | 2.65 AU | 1.68 AU | 159.0° | 7.9° | 25 Jul 2017 | 11.0 | 2.66 AU | 1.68 AU | 159.1° | 7.9° |
| (128) Nemesis | 11.0 | 2.65 AU | 1.64 AU | 171.0° | 3.5° | 21 Jul 2017 | 11.0 | 2.66 AU | 1.64 AU | 173.2° | 2.6° |
| (14) Irene | 11.1 | 2.17 AU | 2.55 AU | 56.9° | 23.1° | 24 Jul 2018 | 10.0 | 2.72 AU | 1.71 AU | 171.7° | 3.1° |
| (349) Dembowska | 11.2 | 2.67 AU | 2.97 AU | 63.2° | 19.8° | 1 Dec 2017 | 9.6 | 2.74 AU | 1.76 AU | 172.2° | 2.8° |
| (20) Massalia | 11.2 | 2.23 AU | 2.52 AU | 61.6° | 23.7° | 17 Dec 2017 | 8.4 | 2.08 AU | 1.09 AU | 178.6° | 0.7° |
| (15) Eunomia | 11.2 | 3.04 AU | 3.69 AU | 44.4° | 13.5° | 8 May 2018 | 9.8 | 3.11 AU | 2.13 AU | 164.2° | 5.1° |
| (18) Melpomene | 11.2 | 2.37 AU | 3.38 AU | 5.1° | 2.2° | 21 Mar 2018 | 10.2 | 2.76 AU | 1.77 AU | 172.1° | 2.9° |
| (12) Victoria | 11.2 | 2.03 AU | 1.80 AU | 87.4° | 30.0° | 22 Nov 2018 | 10.1 | 2.45 AU | 1.46 AU | 178.9° | 0.5° |
| (219) Thusnelda | 11.3 | 1.90 AU | 0.92 AU | 156.8° | 12.1° | 1 Aug 2017 | 11.2 | 1.89 AU | 0.91 AU | 158.1° | 11.5° |
| (344) Desiderata | 11.3 | 1.94 AU | 1.28 AU | 115.3° | 28.2° | 19 Sep 2017 | 10.8 | 2.11 AU | 1.17 AU | 152.9° | 12.5° |
| (5) Astraea | 11.3 | 2.93 AU | 2.00 AU | 151.8° | 9.4° | 2 Jul 2017 | 10.8 | 2.90 AU | 1.89 AU | 174.5° | 1.9° |
| (29) Amphitrite | 11.4 | 2.68 AU | 3.14 AU | 54.4° | 17.9° | 15 Jun 2018 | 9.5 | 2.72 AU | 1.71 AU | 170.3° | 3.6° |
| (354) Eleonora | 11.4 | 3.10 AU | 2.39 AU | 126.7° | 15.2° | 11 Sep 2017 | 10.8 | 3.09 AU | 2.10 AU | 166.9° | 4.3° |
| (804) Hispania | 11.5 | 2.45 AU | 1.53 AU | 146.6° | 13.2° | 22 Aug 2017 | 10.9 | 2.44 AU | 1.44 AU | 171.5° | 3.5° |
| (511) Davida | 11.5 | 3.65 AU | 2.65 AU | 168.1° | 3.3° | 16 Jul 2017 | 11.3 | 3.66 AU | 2.64 AU | 177.7° | 0.6° |
| (44) Nysa | 11.5 | 2.44 AU | 2.31 AU | 85.1° | 24.5° | 3 Nov 2017 | 9.6 | 2.28 AU | 1.29 AU | 173.4° | 2.9° |
| (9) Metis | 11.6 | 2.50 AU | 2.99 AU | 52.4° | 18.8° | 17 Jun 2018 | 9.7 | 2.67 AU | 1.66 AU | 177.4° | 1.0° |
| (776) Berbericia | 11.6 | 2.70 AU | 1.78 AU | 150.0° | 10.8° | 11 Aug 2017 | 11.5 | 2.68 AU | 1.72 AU | 155.0° | 9.2° |
| (101) Helena | 11.6 | 2.32 AU | 1.44 AU | 141.5° | 15.8° | 24 Jun 2017 | 11.3 | 2.36 AU | 1.37 AU | 163.2° | 7.1° |
| (41) Daphne | 11.6 | 2.00 AU | 2.18 AU | 66.3° | 27.7° | 2 Sep 2018 | 11.1 | 2.88 AU | 1.88 AU | 171.9° | 2.8° |
| (346) Hermentaria | 11.7 | 2.85 AU | 1.99 AU | 141.3° | 12.9° | 22 Jun 2017 | 10.8 | 2.88 AU | 1.87 AU | 179.6° | 0.1° |
| (532) Herculina | 11.7 | 3.22 AU | 3.23 AU | 80.6° | 18.1° | 3 Nov 2017 | 10.4 | 3.13 AU | 2.19 AU | 158.2° | 6.8° |
| (23) Thalia | 11.7 | 3.24 AU | 2.26 AU | 161.4° | 5.7° | 6 Aug 2017 | 11.6 | 3.24 AU | 2.24 AU | 166.5° | 4.2° |
| (537) Pauly | 11.8 | 2.37 AU | 1.38 AU | 164.6° | 6.5° | 8 Aug 2017 | 11.5 | 2.38 AU | 1.37 AU | 175.4° | 2.0° |
| (63) Ausonia | 11.8 | 2.14 AU | 2.01 AU | 83.3° | 28.1° | 7 Oct 2018 | 10.5 | 2.41 AU | 1.42 AU | 174.1° | 2.4° |
| (27) Euterpe | 11.9 | 2.73 AU | 2.16 AU | 113.9° | 19.9° | 6 Sep 2018 | 9.8 | 2.41 AU | 1.40 AU | 177.5° | 1.1° |
| (639) Latona | 11.9 | 2.78 AU | 1.77 AU | 174.5° | 2.0° | 26 Jul 2017 | 11.9 | 2.78 AU | 1.77 AU | 174.5° | 2.0° |
| (13) Egeria | 11.9 | 2.41 AU | 3.21 AU | 31.9° | 12.9° | 19 May 2018 | 10.2 | 2.65 AU | 1.64 AU | 173.0° | 2.7° |
| (11) Parthenope | 11.9 | 2.57 AU | 3.44 AU | 27.0° | 10.3° | 26 Jan 2018 | 9.9 | 2.69 AU | 1.70 AU | 179.2° | 0.3° |
For each of the asteroids listed, the current position is plotted in the below all-sky chart:
Terminology:
delta: Distance between asteroid and earth in AU
radius: Distance between asteroid and sun in AU
magn: Magnitude (brightness) estimate
elong: Elongation in degrees (angle sun-earth-asteroid)
AU: Astronomical Unit (mean distance between earth and sun: 149597870.7 km
Perihelion: On this date the comet (or other type of body) is closest to the sun
Orbital elements provided by MPC (Minor Planet Center)
UCAC4 star catalog and NGC2000 dso catalog via VizieR as provided by the Strasbourg astronomical Data Center.
Calculations by a modified version of AAPlus, a C# implementation of the AA+ project by PJ Naughter from the algorithms presented in the book "Astronomical Algorithms" by Jean Meeus.
