Key Facts

Overview

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

Sheehan orbits the sun every 2,110 days (5.78 years), coming as close as 3.06 AU and reaching as far as 3.38 AU from the sun. Sheehan is about 14.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

Sheehan's orbit is 2.09 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

Sheehan's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 22, 1982. It was last officially observed on June 28, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,544 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 Sheehan:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.222 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.05
  • Inclination: 15.31°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 187.17°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 103.8°
  • Mean Anomaly: 5.63°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 14.29900 km
  • Magnitude: 13.09
  • Albedo: 0.066

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,110 days (5.78 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.61 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.38 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 3.06 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Sheehan 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.