Key Facts

Overview

Shapleya is a large asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Shapleya as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Shapleya orbits the sun every 1,210 days (3.31 years), coming as close as 1.88 AU and reaching as far as 2.57 AU from the sun. Shapleya is about 11.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

The rotation of Shapleya has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 52.92 hours.

No Close Approaches

Shapleya's orbit is 0.89 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Shapleya's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 21, 1928. It was last officially observed on July 4, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,980 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 Shapleya:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.225 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1563
  • Inclination: 6.42°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 79.85°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 317.53°
  • Mean Anomaly: 200.46°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 11.28200 km
  • Magnitude: 11.68
  • Albedo: 0.278

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,210 days (3.31 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.00 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.57 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.88 AU
  • Rotation Period: 52.92 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Shapleya 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.