(3281) Maupertuis Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 February 1938 by Y. Vaisala at Turku.
Where Maupertuis is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Maupertuis is 2.56 au from the Sun and 1.59 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 3281 |
| Provisional designation | 1938 DZ |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.48 km (#9,733 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.489 |
| Rotation period | 6.73 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.98 |
| Orbital period | 3.60 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.35 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.12 – 2.58 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0988 |
| Inclination | 5.98° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.12 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 24 February 1938
- (1483) Hakoila
- (1551) Argelander
- (1552) Bessel
- (1998) Titius
- (2665) Schrutka
- (2678) Aavasaksa
- (2690) Ristiina
- (3272) Tillandz
- (4181) Kivi