Chichn Itza

100456 Chichn Itza (1996 TH)

Space Reference » Main-belt Asteroids » Chichn Itza

Key Facts

Overview

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

Chichn Itza orbits the sun every 1,650 days (4.52 years), coming as close as 2.18 AU and reaching as far as 3.29 AU from the sun. Based on its brightness and the way it reflects light, Chichn Itza is probably between 1.908 to 4.266 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, very roughly comparable in size to Mount Everest.

No Close Approaches

Chichn Itza's orbit is 1.18 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

Chichn Itza's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 2, 1996. It was last officially observed on June 25, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 632 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 Chichn Itza:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.734 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2025
  • Inclination: 6.61°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 228.39°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 107.77°
  • Mean Anomaly: 13.62°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: ~2.463 km
  • Magnitude: 15.72

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,650 days (4.52 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.03 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.29 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.18 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

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Sky Map

The position of Chichn Itza 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 Chichn Itza 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.