Key Facts

Overview

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

Mikawa orbits the sun every 1,230 days (3.37 years), coming as close as 1.84 AU and reaching as far as 2.65 AU from the sun. Mikawa is about 7.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay.

The rotation of Mikawa has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 5.08 hours.

No Close Approaches

Mikawa's orbit is 0.84 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

Mikawa's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 19, 1953. It was last officially observed on June 12, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 4,797 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 Mikawa:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.245 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1787
  • Inclination: 3.92°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 88.62°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 239.58°
  • Mean Anomaly: 227.03°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 7.71500 km
  • Magnitude: 12.83
  • Albedo: 0.227

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,230 days (3.37 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 19.86 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 2.65 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.84 AU
  • Rotation Period: 5.08 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Mikawa 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.