(12557) Caracol Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 27 August 1998 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
“El Caracol” at Chichén Itza in Yucatán, Mexico, has been described as probably the most famous of all the astronomically related buildings in ancient Mesoamerica. The name was suggested and citation provided by G. Bennett.Naming citation (20010804/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Caracol is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Caracol is 3.19 au from the Sun and 2.24 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12557 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 QQ54 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.95 |
| Orbital period | 5.61 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.16 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 3.12 – 3.19 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0107 |
| Inclination | 4.82° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 2.13 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 27 August 1998
- (10937) Ferris
- (13722) Campobagatin
- (13723) Kolokolova
- (13724) Schwehm
- (14120) Espenak
- (14121) Stuwe
- (14122) Josties
- (14572) Armando
- (14573) Montebugnoli
- (23819) Tsuyoshi
- (25052) Rudawska
- (25053) Matthewknight