# 15436 Dexius
**15436 Dexius** (provisional designation 1998 VU\u2083\u2080) is a large Jupiter Trojan asteroid, one of the bodies locked in a 1:1 orbital resonance with Jupiter at its L4 Lagrange point, 60 degrees ahead of the planet in its orbit. It was discovered on 10 November 1998 by astronomers of the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program at the Lincoln Laboratory's experimental test site near Socorro, New Mexico, and is named for Dexius of Greek mythology.[2](https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=15436)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Discovery | 10 November 1998, by LINEAR near Socorro, New Mexico[2](https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=15436) |
| Diameter | 87.646 km, larger than 99% of asteroids[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) |
| Orbit | Semi-major axis 5.212 AU; period 4,350 days (11.91 years); eccentricity 0.0454; inclination 16.26°[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) |
| Rotation | 8.97 hours per rotation[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) |
| Surface | Albedo 0.053, a dark body; absolute magnitude 9.1; V–I color index 0.870[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) |
| Hazard status | Not a Near Earth Object and not classified as potentially hazardous[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) |
## Orbit
Dexius shares Jupiter's orbit around the Sun, completing one revolution every 4,350 days, or 11.91 years. Its orbit carries it from a perihelion of 4.98 AU to an aphelion of 5.45 AU, with a semi-major axis of 5.212 AU, an eccentricity of 0.0454, and an inclination of 16.26 degrees to the ecliptic; its average orbital speed is 13.03 km/s.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30)
The orbit is well determined from a long observational record. The IAU Minor Planet Center lists 3,533 observations used to determine the orbit, with precovery observations dating back to 24 November 1962 and the last official observation on 9 April 2023.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) The object also carries the alternate designations 1962 WO and 2000 AS\u2088\u2081, reflecting observations before and after its 1998 discovery that were later identified as the same body.[2](https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=15436)
## Physical characteristics
Dexius is about 87.6 kilometers in diameter, a size the Space Reference database compares to the U.S. state of Delaware, and it ranks among the largest known [Jupiter Trojans](https://www.edgepedia.org/jupiter-trojans) in cataloged diameter surveys.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) It is a dark body: its visible geometric albedo of 0.053 means it reflects only about five percent of the sunlight striking it, typical of the low-albedo, carbon-rich surfaces attributed to Trojan asteroids. Its V–I color index of 0.870 places it within the range of colors measured across the Trojan population.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30)Photometric monitoring has established a rotation period of 8.97 hours.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30)
## Earth approaches and exploration
Because Dexius remains near Jupiter's orbit, its closest possible approach to [Earth's orbit](https://www.edgepedia.org/earths-orbit) is 3.99 AU, and orbital simulations by NASA JPL's Center for Near Earth Object Studies (CNEOS) show no close approaches to Earth. NASA JPL has therefore not classified it as a potentially hazardous object, and it is not a Near Earth Object.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30) The NHATS study, which screens near-Earth asteroids for accessibility to human missions, does not consider it a viable target for human exploration.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30)
## Context among the Trojans
Objects with similar orbital characteristics include 588 Achilles, 617 [Patroclus](https://www.edgepedia.org/patroclus), and 884 Priamus.[1](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30)
## References
1. [Asteroid Dexius (15436), Space Reference](https://www.spacereference.org/asteroid/15436-dexius-1998-vu30)
2. [IAU Minor Planet Center, minorplanetcenter.net](https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=15436)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Places and geography › Extraterrestrial places › Small bodies of the Solar System › Jupiter Trojans and other dynamical groups › Greek-camp Jupiter Trojans › Lesser Achaean warriors*
*Initially written Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license