Key Facts

Overview

Christa is a large asteroid that orbits between Mars and Jupiter in the outer reaches of the main asteroid belt. NASA JPL has not classified Christa as potentially hazardous because its orbit does not bring it close to Earth.

Christa orbits the sun every 2,100 days (5.75 years), coming as close as 2.92 AU and reaching as far as 3.49 AU from the sun. Christa is about 82.4 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the U.S. state of Delaware.

The rotation of Christa has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 11.23 hours.

Christa's spectral type C (Tholen) / Xc (SMASSII) indicates that it is likely to contain iron, nickel, cobalt, and platinum.

No Close Approaches

Christa's orbit is 1.95 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

Christa's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Feb. 1, 1924. It was last officially observed on July 5, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,219 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 Christa:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.206 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.089
  • Inclination: 9.45°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 120.12°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 286.85°
  • Mean Anomaly: 215.16°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 82.35000 km
  • Magnitude: 9.22
  • Albedo: 0.048
  • Spectral type (Tholen): C
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Xc

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,100 days (5.75 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.61 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.49 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.92 AU
  • Rotation Period: 11.23 hours
  • Approx. Composition: iron, nickel, cobalt, and platinum.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Christa 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.