A

David

Darling

944 Hidalgo

orbit of Hidalgo

Orbit of Hidalgo. Credit: NASA.


944 Hidalgo is the asteroid with the largest known orbit, the second highest inclination to the ecliptic, and the second highest eccentricity. It was discovered by Walter Baade in 1920. Hidalgo, whose perihelion lies at the inner edge of the main asteroid belt and aphelion just beyond the orbit of Saturn, moves in a chaotic orbit and is considered by some to be a defunct comet.

 

diameter 30 km
spectral class D
semimajor axis 5.757 AU
perihelion 1.958 AU
aphelion 9.556 AU
eccentricity 0.656
inclination 42.57°
period 13.7 years