(4047) Chang'E Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 8 October 1964 by Purple Mountain Observatory at Nanking.
Chang'E is not only the code name of the Chinese lunar probe, but in ancient Chinese legend it is the name of a beautiful goddess who flew to the moon. The probe Chang'E 1 was launched successfully on 2007 Oct. 24, initiating Chinese scientific exploration of the moon.Naming citation (20080122/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Chang'E is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Chang'E is 2.87 au from the Sun and 3.85 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4047 |
| Provisional designation | 1964 TT2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.63 km (#5,323 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0730 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.65 |
| Orbital period | 4.23 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.62 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.07 – 3.16 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.207 |
| Inclination | 3.01° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.07 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.