Key Facts

Overview

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

Machin orbits the sun every 1,400 days (3.83 years), coming as close as 2.23 AU and reaching as far as 2.67 AU from the sun. Machin is about 23.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Machin has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 20.30 hours.

No Close Approaches

Machin's orbit is 1.23 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

Machin's orbit is determined by observations dating back to March 4, 1924. It was last officially observed on April 15, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,839 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 Machin:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.45 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0897
  • Inclination: 7.19°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 22.73°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 256.27°
  • Mean Anomaly: 212.2°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 23.67100 km
  • Magnitude: 12.25
  • Albedo: 0.072

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,400 days (3.83 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.04 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.67 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.23 AU
  • Rotation Period: 20.30 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Machin 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.