Key Facts

Overview

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

Kitami orbits the sun every 2,130 days (5.83 years), coming as close as 2.71 AU and reaching as far as 3.77 AU from the sun. Kitami is about 19.8 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Denver.

The rotation of Kitami has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.80 hours.

No Close Approaches

Kitami's orbit is 1.72 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

Kitami's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 23, 1979. It was last officially observed on May 21, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,690 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 Kitami:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.241 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1624
  • Inclination: 1.93°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 150.46°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 239.75°
  • Mean Anomaly: 151.98°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 19.76100 km
  • Magnitude: 12.34
  • Albedo: 0.072

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,130 days (5.83 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.55 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.77 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.71 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.80 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Kitami 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.