Estellechurch

14681 Estellechurch (1999 XW108)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Estellechurch

Key Facts

Overview

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

Estellechurch orbits the sun every 1,990 days (5.45 years), coming as close as 2.56 AU and reaching as far as 3.63 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Estellechurch is probably between 4.079 to 9.121 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Estellechurch has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 12.47 hours.

No Close Approaches

Estellechurch's orbit is 1.55 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

Estellechurch's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Sept. 15, 1993. It was last officially observed on March 12, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,823 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 Estellechurch:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.098 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1724
  • Inclination: 0.94°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 296.79°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 3.31°
  • Mean Anomaly: 222.89°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~5.266 km
  • Magnitude: 14.07

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,990 days (5.45 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.94 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.63 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.56 AU
  • Rotation Period: 12.47 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Estellechurch 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 Estellechurch 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.