(5953) Shelton Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 25 April 1987 by Shoemaker, C. S., Shoemaker, E. M. at Palomar.
Named in honor of Ian Shelton, Canadian astronomer, best known for his discovery of the supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud on 1987 Feb. 24. During his four years as resident observer at the University of Toronto Southern Observatory, he participated in programs with astronomers worldwide, and more recently he has generously contributed to the astronomical education of school children, parents and teachers. Name suggested and citation prepared by D. MacCormack and R. Garrison.Naming citation (19980211/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
👶 Shelton as a baby name🐶 Shelton as a dog name
Where Shelton is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Shelton is 1.93 au from the Sun and 2.13 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5953 |
| Provisional designation | 1987 HS |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 18.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.86 |
| Orbital period | 3.53 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.32 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.93 – 2.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.168 |
| Inclination | 24.0° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.920 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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