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Asteroids and Comets Visited by Spacecraft

Graphics showing all of the asteroids and comets visited by spacecraft.

Last updated: 16 December 2022

Not to scale, but sized and distributed to give an idea of increasing size and distance.

For a comparative view of the 22 largest objects in the asteroid belt, click here.

For a discussion about the difference between asteroids and comets, read Asteroid vs Comet.

For a discussion about the different asteroid spectral types, read History of Asteroid Classification.

These graphics are for non-commercial use.

Asteroids Visited by Spacecraft 2022 in order of distance.
Image credits:
1 Ceres: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA (PIA 19557)
4 Vesta: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA (PIA 14317)
21 Lutetia: ESA & MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA (image 47590)
243 Ida & Dactyl: NASA/JPL/USGS (PIA 00333)
253 Mathilde: NASA/JPL/JHUAPL (PIA 02494)
433 Eros: NASA/JPL/JHUAPL (PIA 02923)
951 Gaspra: NASA/JPL (PIA 00118)
2867 Šteins: ESA & MPS for OSIRIS Team MPS/UPD/LAM/IAA/RSSD/INTA/UPM/DASP/IDA (image 43356)
4179 Toutatis: CNSA/CAS (image)
5535 Annefrank: NASA/JPL-Caltech (PIA 02885)
9969 Braille: NASA/JPL/USGS (PIA 01345)
101955 Bennu: NASA/Goddard/University of Arizona (image)
162173 Ryugu: JAXA, University of Tokyo, Kochi University, Rikkyo University, Nagoya University, Chiba Institute of Technology, Meiji University, Aizu University, AIST (image)
25143 Itokawa: ISAS/JAXA (image)
65803 Didymos & Dimorphos: NASA/Johns Hopkins APL (images)

Trans-Neptunian Object 486958 Arrokoth is not included, but as at 1 January 2019 it became the farthest object in the Solar System to be visited by a spacecraft, at 44.58 AU.

Comets Visited by Spacecraft 2022 in order of distance.
Image credits:
1P/Halley: ESA/MPS (HMC 68)
9P/Tempel 1 (Deep Impact): NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD (PIA 02137)
9P/Tempel 1 (Stardust NeXT): NASA/JPL-Caltech/Cornell (PIA 13860)
19P/Borrelly: NASA/JPL (PIA 03500)
67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko: ESA/Rosetta/NAVCAM (image)
81P/Wild 2: NASA/JPL (PIA 05579)
103P/Hartley 2: NASA/JPL-Caltech/UMD (PIA 13570)
Orbits of asteroids visited by spacecraft as at 9 August 2018 of all asteroids visited by space missions (graphic - part of an infographic series depicting asteroids and comets visited by spacecraft).
Image credits: CNSA (Toutatis), ESA (Šteins, Lutetia), JAXA (Itokawa, Ryugu), NASA (Annefrank, Bennu, Braille, Ceres, Eros, Gaspra, Ida & Dactyl, Mathilde, Vesta). Not to scale.
The Shape of Asteroids - The Potato Radius
Image credits: [2867, 21] ESA; [16*] ESO/LAM/P. Vernazza; [1, 4] NASA/JPL-Caltech/UCLA/MPS/DLR/IDA. *Psyche has not yet been visited so this is a shape model — the asteroid will be visited by a spacecraft in 2028. Not to scale.
Solar System Distances AU
Mini image credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech (Messenger, Magellan, Viking, Voyager, Cassini, New Horizons).