(6866) Kukai Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 February 1992 by S. Otomo at Kiyosato.
Named for Kouboudaishi Kukai (774-835), Buddhist priest who was born in Zentsugi on Shikoku Island. He went to China to study Buddhism. After returning to Japan he established 88 temples on Shikoku Island and the temple on Kouya Mountain.Naming citation (19990728/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kukai is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kukai is 3.07 au from the Sun and 2.10 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6866 |
| Provisional designation | 1992 CO |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 13.4 km (#3,575 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.171 |
| Rotation period | 19.5 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.2 |
| Orbital period | 5.25 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.02 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.85 – 3.19 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0571 |
| Inclination | 11.0° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.83 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.