Key Facts

Overview

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

Schmadel orbits the sun every 1,620 days (4.44 years), coming as close as 2.16 AU and reaching as far as 3.24 AU from the sun. Schmadel is about 9.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Schmadel has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 15.63 hours.

No Close Approaches

Schmadel's orbit is 1.31 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

Schmadel's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 12, 1972. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,176 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 Schmadel:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.699 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2008
  • Inclination: 25.24°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 6.05°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 272.08°
  • Mean Anomaly: 144.87°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 9.47300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.4
  • Albedo: 0.284
  • Spectral type (SMASS): A

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,620 days (4.44 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.13 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.24 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.16 AU
  • Rotation Period: 15.63 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Schmadel 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.