Key Facts

Overview

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

Colchagua orbits the sun every 2,120 days (5.80 years), coming as close as 2.84 AU and reaching as far as 3.63 AU from the sun. Colchagua is about 26.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Indianapolis.

No Close Approaches

Colchagua's orbit is 1.83 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

Colchagua's orbit is determined by observations dating back to May 24, 1935. It was last officially observed on Feb. 2, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,786 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 Colchagua:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.233 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1217
  • Inclination: 2.48°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 121.83°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 111.57°
  • Mean Anomaly: 164.57°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 26.31200 km
  • Magnitude: 11.9
  • Albedo: 0.071

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,120 days (5.80 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.59 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.63 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.84 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Colchagua 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.