Key Facts

Overview

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

Tikhov orbits the sun every 1,630 days (4.46 years), coming as close as 2.31 AU and reaching as far as 3.11 AU from the sun. Tikhov is about 29.5 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Tikhov has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.67 hours.

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

No Close Approaches

Tikhov's orbit is 1.31 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

Tikhov's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Dec. 12, 1955. It was last officially observed on May 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,365 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 Tikhov:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.71 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1484
  • Inclination: 7.45°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 192.92°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 182.94°
  • Mean Anomaly: 112.1°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 29.48800 km
  • Magnitude: 11.73
  • Albedo: 0.059
  • Spectral type (SMASS): Cb

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,630 days (4.46 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.09 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.11 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.31 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.67 hours
  • Approx. Composition: water, iron, nickel, cobalt, nitrogen, and ammonia.

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Tikhov 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.