Christy

129564 Christy (1997 ER40)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Christy

Key Facts

Overview

Christy is a mid-sized asteroid orbiting between Mars and Jupiter in the main portion of the asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Christy as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Christy orbits the sun every 1,600 days (4.38 years), coming as close as 2.46 AU and reaching as far as 2.89 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Christy is probably between 1.724 to 3.855 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

Christy's orbit is 1.50 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an extremely wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.

Orbital simulations conducted by NASA JPL's CNEOS do not show any close approaches to Earth.

Images and Observations

Christy's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 7, 1997. It was last officially observed on May 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 695 observations used to determine its orbit.

Accessibility and Exploration

This asteroid is not considered a viable target for human exploration by the NHATS study.

Similar Objects

These objects have orbits that share similar characteristics to the orbit of Christy:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.676 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.08
  • Inclination: 14.34°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 181.23°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 78.98°
  • Mean Anomaly: 314.03°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.226 km
  • Magnitude: 15.94

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,600 days (4.38 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.20 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.89 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.46 AU

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

⧉

Sky Map

The position of Christy is indicated by a ◯ pink circle. Note that the object may not be in your current field of view. Use the controls below to adjust position, location, and time.

Size Rendering

The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of Christy to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.