Key Facts

Overview

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

Shimada orbits the sun every 1,720 days (4.71 years), coming as close as 2.29 AU and reaching as far as 3.32 AU from the sun. Shimada is about 8.2 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Shimada has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.80 hours.

No Close Approaches

Shimada's orbit is 1.32 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

Shimada's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 27, 1984. It was last officially observed on May 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,337 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 Shimada:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.808 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1831
  • Inclination: 13.93°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 273.28°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 58.67°
  • Mean Anomaly: 180.44°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.16300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.7
  • Albedo: 0.319

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,720 days (4.71 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.76 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.32 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.29 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.80 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Shimada 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.