Key Facts
- Categorized as a Amor-class Asteroid
- Comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge (0.89 km diameter)
- Will pass within 26,029,131 km of Earth in 2032
- Classified as a Near Earth Asteroid (NEA)
- Not a Potentially Hazardous Object
- See orbit simulation
Overview
Huitzilopochtli is a small asteroid whose orbit approaches the orbit of Earth but does not cross it. NASA JPL has classified Huitzilopochtli as a "Near Earth Asteroid" due to its orbit's proximity to Earth, but it is not considered potentially hazardous because computer simulations have not indicated any imminent likelihood of future collision.
Huitzilopochtli orbits the sun every 530 days (1.45 years), coming as close as 1.04 AU and reaching as far as 1.53 AU from the sun. Huitzilopochtli is about 0.9 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than ~97% of asteroids but small compared to large asteroids, comparable in size to the Golden Gate Bridge.
The rotation of Huitzilopochtli has been observed. It completes a rotation on its axis every 26.00 hours.
Close Approaches
Huitzilopochtli's orbit is 0.06 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times.
Huitzilopochtli has 8 close approaches predicted in the coming decades:
| Date | Distance from Earth (km) | Velocity (km/s) |
|---|---|---|
| Jan. 23, 2032 | 26,029,131 | 13.377 |
| Jan. 19, 2048 | 9,222,022 | 13.153 |
| Jan. 19, 2093 | 9,766,887 | 13.063 |
| Jan. 16, 2109 | 22,883,179 | 14.118 |
| Jan. 22, 2138 | 17,838,170 | 13.092 |
| Jan. 19, 2154 | 11,608,931 | 13.342 |
| Jan. 24, 2183 | 27,473,493 | 13.410 |
| Jan. 20, 2199 | 9,209,268 | 13.157 |
Images and Observations
Huitzilopochtli's orbit is determined by observations dating back to July 20, 1993. It was last officially observed on Aug. 24, 2022. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 1,421 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 Huitzilopochtli:References
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or view a random objectOrbital Elements
- Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
- Semi-major axis: 1.282 AU
- Eccentricity: 0.1896
- Inclination: 24.15°
- Longitude of Ascending Node: 297.57°
- Argument of Periapsis: 195.57°
- Mean Anomaly: 72.81°
Physical Characteristics
- Diameter: 0.89000 km
- Magnitude: 17.77
- Albedo: 0.171
Derived Characteristics
- Orbit Period: 530 days (1.45 years)
- Avg. Orbit Speed: 26.32 km/s
- Aphelion Distance: 1.53 AU
- Perihelion Distance: 1.04 AU
- Rotation Period: 26.00 hours
Map Comparison
Orbit Simulation
Sky Map
The position of Huitzilopochtli 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.
Size Rendering
The above comparison is an artistic rendering that uses available data on the diameter of Huitzilopochtli to create an approximate landscape rendering with Mount Everest in the background. This approximation is built for full-resolution desktop browsers. Shape, color, and texture of asteroid are imagined.
