Key Facts

Overview

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

Elsheimer orbits the sun every 2,130 days (5.83 years), coming as close as 2.80 AU and reaching as far as 3.69 AU from the sun. Elsheimer is about 8.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Elsheimer has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 15.97 hours.

No Close Approaches

Elsheimer's orbit is 1.78 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

Elsheimer's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 29, 1992. It was last officially observed on June 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,743 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 Elsheimer:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.243 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.137
  • Inclination: 2.27°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 87.98°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 225.32°
  • Mean Anomaly: 3.88°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 8.68500 km
  • Magnitude: 14.01
  • Albedo: 0.085

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,130 days (5.83 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.56 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.69 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.80 AU
  • Rotation Period: 15.97 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Elsheimer 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.