(253) Mathilde Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 November 1885 by J. Palisa at Vienna.
Where Mathilde is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mathilde is 2.43 au from the Sun and 3.16 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 253 |
| Provisional designation | A885 VA |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 52.8 km (#696 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0436 |
| Rotation period | 418 hours |
| Spectral type | Cb |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 10.35 |
| Orbital period | 4.31 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.65 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.95 – 3.35 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.264 |
| Inclination | 6.74° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.939 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.