Key Facts

Overview

Clematis is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Clematis as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Clematis orbits the sun every 2,120 days (5.80 years), coming as close as 2.97 AU and reaching as far as 3.48 AU from the sun. Clematis is about 33.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of New York.

The rotation of Clematis has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 34.30 hours.

No Close Approaches

Clematis's orbit is 2.04 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

Clematis's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 22, 1928. It was last officially observed on April 16, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,328 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 Clematis:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.228 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0785
  • Inclination: 21.44°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 201.81°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 105.1°
  • Mean Anomaly: 167.22°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 33.76500 km
  • Magnitude: 10.61
  • Albedo: 0.127

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,120 days (5.80 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.56 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.48 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.97 AU
  • Rotation Period: 34.30 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Clematis 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.