1804 Chebotarev

Picture of the Day · NASA

Pathfinder on Mars

2026-07-04

On July 4th, 1997, using its own array of fireworks, a parachute, and a cocoon of airbags, the Mars Pathfinder spacecraft bounced like a giant beach ball at least 15 times before it came to rest on the surface of Mars at 10:07 AM Pacific Daylight Time. After its then novel airbag-assisted landing sequence was completed, Pathfinder transmitted this color mosaic to mission operators on Earth. In the scene from another world, the Mars Sojourner robot rover is visible in the foreground, crouched on top of the unfolded Pathfinder. About the size of a large house cat, the six-wheeled, solar-powered Sojourner became the first successful Martian rover. Surrounding Pathfinder are deflated airbags and the rock-strewn terrain of the Ares Vallis floodplain. In the distance Martian hills appear against a dusty brownish sky. The Pathfinder lander was subsequently renamed the Carl Sagan Memorial Station.

via NASA APOD

Key facts

Discovered by

T. Smirnova

Discovery site

Crimean Astrophysical Obs.

Discovery date

6 April 1967

Named after

G. A. Chebotarev (astronomer)

Alternative designations

1967 GG · 1938 QL, 1942 RL · 1968 QK

Minor planet category

main-belt · ( inner )

Observation arc

78.05 yr (28,506 days)

Aphelion

2.4628 AU

Perihelion

2.3584 AU

Semi major axis

2.4106 AU

Orbital period sidereal

3.74 yr (1,367 days)

Mean anomaly

96.780 °

Mean motion

0° 15 47.88 / day

Inclination

3.6316°

Longitude of ascending node

325.72°

Argument of perihelion

305.47°

Dimensions

9.15 ± 1.12 km , 10.79 km (calculated)

Synodic rotation period

4.026 ± 0.002 h

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Instance of

asteroid

Named after

Gleb Chebotaryov

Followed by

Q144031

Follows

Q144009

Parent body

Sun

Minor-planet group

asteroid belt

Diameter

9.145

Orbital period

1367.19697775555

Image

001804-asteroid shape model (1804) Chebotarev.png

via Wikidata · CC0