Key Facts

Overview

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

Sholokhov orbits the sun every 1,700 days (4.65 years), coming as close as 2.47 AU and reaching as far as 3.12 AU from the sun. Sholokhov is about 38.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Houston.

The rotation of Sholokhov has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 10.06 hours.

Sholokhov's spectral type None (Tholen) / L (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.

No Close Approaches

Sholokhov's orbit is 1.53 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

Sholokhov's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 15, 1953. It was last officially observed on July 2, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,024 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 Sholokhov:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.791 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1163
  • Inclination: 17.69°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 131.07°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 72.23°
  • Mean Anomaly: 95.85°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 38.51900 km
  • Magnitude: 10.91
  • Albedo: 0.055
  • Spectral type (SMASS): L

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,700 days (4.65 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.86 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.12 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.47 AU
  • Rotation Period: 10.06 hours
  • Approx. Composition: magnesium silicate, iron silicate, and aluminum.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Sholokhov 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.