Leda

38 Leda (A856 AA)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Leda

Key Facts

Overview

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

Leda orbits the sun every 1,660 days (4.54 years), coming as close as 2.33 AU and reaching as far as 3.15 AU from the sun. Leda is about 92.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Leda has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 12.84 hours.

Leda's spectral type C (Tholen) / Cgh (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

No Close Approaches

Leda's orbit is 1.34 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

Leda's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Jan. 29, 1856. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,895 observations used to determine its orbit.

Scientists have been able to determine this object's shape:

View asteroid Leda in 3D.

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 Leda:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.741 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1509
  • Inclination: 6.95°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 295.51°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 169.53°
  • Mean Anomaly: 352.34°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 92.25500 km
  • Magnitude: 8.52
  • Albedo: 0.055
  • Spectral type (Tholen): C
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Cgh

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,660 days (4.54 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.96 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.33 AU
  • Rotation Period: 12.84 hours
  • Approx. Composition: water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Leda 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.