Key Facts

Overview

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

Zhongguo orbits the sun every 2,180 days (5.97 years), coming as close as 2.69 AU and reaching as far as 3.88 AU from the sun. Zhongguo is about 14.0 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

The rotation of Zhongguo has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 3.84 hours.

No Close Approaches

Zhongguo's orbit is 1.70 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

Zhongguo's orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 25, 1928. It was last officially observed on Feb. 19, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 3,067 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 Zhongguo:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 3.289 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.1809
  • Inclination: 2.74°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 86.82°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 312.03°
  • Mean Anomaly: 42.31°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 14.00600 km
  • Magnitude: 12.91
  • Albedo: 0.099

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 2,180 days (5.97 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 16.41 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.88 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 2.69 AU
  • Rotation Period: 3.84 hours

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Zhongguo 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.