Key Facts

Overview

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

Blixen orbits the sun every 1,900 days (5.20 years), coming as close as 2.86 AU and reaching as far as 3.15 AU from the sun. Blixen is about 22.7 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

The rotation of Blixen has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 6.46 hours.

No Close Approaches

Blixen's orbit is 1.89 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

Blixen's orbit is determined by observations dating back to April 8, 1943. It was last officially observed on July 3, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 5,653 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 Blixen:

References

Search

   or view a random object

Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.007 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.0484
  • Inclination: 11.57°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 109.07°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 47.97°
  • Mean Anomaly: 173.6°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 22.65800 km
  • Magnitude: 11.1
  • Albedo: 0.204

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,900 days (5.20 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 17.22 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.15 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.86 AU
  • Rotation Period: 6.46 hours

Map Comparison

Click to load map

Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Blixen 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.