Key Facts

Overview

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

Timchuk orbits the sun every 1,480 days (4.05 years), coming as close as 1.92 AU and reaching as far as 3.16 AU from the sun. Timchuk is about 12.1 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the city of Cleveland, Ohio.

No Close Approaches

Timchuk's orbit is 0.94 AU from Earth's orbit at its closest point. This means that there is a very 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

Timchuk's orbit is determined by observations dating back to June 19, 1950. It was last officially observed on June 23, 2023. The IAU Minor Planet Center records 2,516 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 Timchuk:

References

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Orbital Elements

  • Epoch: 2460200.5 JD
  • Semi-major axis: 2.542 AU
  • Eccentricity: 0.2431
  • Inclination: 7.12°
  • Longitude of Ascending Node: 124.33°
  • Argument of Periapsis: 254.7°
  • Mean Anomaly: 312.47°

Physical Characteristics

  • Diameter: 12.13900 km
  • Magnitude: 13.97
  • Albedo: 0.048

Derived Characteristics

  • Orbit Period: 1,480 days (4.05 years)
  • Avg. Orbit Speed: 18.69 km/s
  • Aphelion Distance: 3.16 AU
  • Perihelion Distance: 1.92 AU

Map Comparison

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Orbit Simulation

Sky Map

The position of Timchuk 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.