Key Facts

Overview

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

Chukotka orbits the sun every 1,410 days (3.86 years), coming as close as 1.98 AU and reaching as far as 2.93 AU from the sun. Chukotka is about 16.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Philadelphia.

The rotation of Chukotka has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 17.70 hours.

Chukotka's spectral type None (Tholen) / C (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

No Close Approaches

Chukotka's orbit is 0.97 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Chukotka's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 9, 1931. It was last officially observed on June 17, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,654 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 Chukotka:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.455 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1937
  • Inclination: 2.85°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 343.51°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 348.8°
  • Mean Anomaly: 337.02°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 16.78400 km
  • Magnitude: 12.99
  • Albedo: 0.041
  • Spectral type (SMASS): C

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,410 days (3.86 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.94 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.93 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.98 AU
  • Rotation Period: 17.70 hours
  • Approx. Composition: water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Chukotka 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.