(2868) Upupa Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 October 1972 by P. Wild at Zimmerwald.
Named for a European nonpasserine bird of the family Upupidae, or hoopie, this is a cousin of (2731) Cucula, a rare bird of somewhat peculiar habit and habits.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #1, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Upupa is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Upupa is 3.26 au from the Sun and 4.26 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 2868 |
| Provisional designation | 1972 UA |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 12.1 km (#4,047 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0920 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.11 |
| Orbital period | 4.72 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.81 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.31 – 3.31 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.178 |
| Inclination | 7.55° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.33 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.