Key Facts

Overview

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

Michelle orbits the sun every 1,210 days (3.31 years), coming as close as 1.75 AU and reaching as far as 2.71 AU from the sun. Michelle is about 7.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Michelle has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.97 hours.

No Close Approaches

Michelle's orbit is 0.74 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Michelle's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 29, 1935. It was last officially observed on May 13, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,068 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 Michelle:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.228 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2153
  • Inclination: 3.55°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 163.44°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 156.09°
  • Mean Anomaly: 208.14°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.05300 km
  • Magnitude: 12.56
  • Albedo: 0.267

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,210 days (3.31 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 20.03 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.71 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.75 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.97 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Michelle 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.