| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | K. Lohnert |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg |
| Discovery date | 22 January 1907 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | (623) Chimaera |
| Pronunciation | /kaɪˈmɪərə/ ky-MEER-ə |
| Named after | Chimera |
| Alternative designations | 1907 XJ |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 106.49 yr (38896 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.7396 AU (409.84 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.1819 AU (326.41 Gm) |
| Semi-major axis | 2.4607 AU (368.12 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.11331 |
| Orbital period (sidereal) | 3.86 yr (1409.9 d) |
| Mean anomaly | 186.178° |
| Mean motion | 0° 15 19.224 / day |
| Inclination | 14.127° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 308.337° |
| Argument of perihelion | 124.416° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean radius | 22.045±0.5 km |
| Synodic rotation period | 14.635 h (0.6098 d) |
| Geometric albedo | 0.0372±0.002 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 10.97 |
623 Chimaera is a minor planet, specifically an asteroid orbiting in the asteroid belt.
Orbit and classification
The asteroid is the major body in its own asteroid family, the Chimaera Family, it is also 22 kilometres in radius and orbits more in the inner to mid asteroid belt, taking 4 years to complete an orbit. Not much detail is really known about the asteroid.
Exploration
The MBR Explorer spacecraft is going to visit 623 Chimaera among other 6 other asteroids under the Emirates Mission to the Asteroid Belt. The spacecraft is planned to launch in 2028. It will make observations of 623 Chimaera with its two cameras and two spectrometers with the goal of better understanding the formation of the solar system.
References
- "Chimaera". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
- "623 Chimaera (1907 XJ)". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- "Arabian spacecraft to search asteroid belt for clues to life's origins". ABC News. 30 May 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- "Ambitious Emirati Mission Seeks to Visit 7 Asteroids and Land on the Big Red One". Gizmodo. 10 May 2023. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
- Nasir, Sarwat (29 May 2023). "MBR Explorer: UAE unveils details of its mission to the main asteroid belt". The National. Retrieved 27 March 2024.
External links
- 623 Chimaera at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 623 Chimaera at the JPL Small-Body Database
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