Key Facts

Overview

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

Massinga orbits the sun every 2,040 days (5.59 years), coming as close as 2.41 AU and reaching as far as 3.89 AU from the sun. Massinga is about 71.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Massinga has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 10.72 hours.

No Close Approaches

Massinga's orbit is 1.42 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

Massinga's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Aug. 28, 1913. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,096 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 Massinga:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.149 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2339
  • Inclination: 12.54°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 331.55°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 200.32°
  • Mean Anomaly: 28.88°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 71.29000 km
  • Magnitude: 7.95
  • Albedo: 0.2276
  • Spectral type (Tholen): SU

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,040 days (5.59 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.79 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.89 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.41 AU
  • Rotation Period: 10.72 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Massinga 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.