It was discovered by Japanese astronomers Akira Natori and Takeshi Urata at the JCPM Yakiimo Station on 23 November 1990.
[3] According to photometry from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, Cheshirecat is a rare K-type asteroid.
[8] In December 2006, a rotational lightcurve of Cheshirecat was obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer Robert Stephens.
Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 10.050 hours with a brightness variation of 0.40 magnitude (U=3-).
[7] In September 2011, another lightcurve, obtained at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory (E09), Australia, gave a concurring period of 10.050 hours and an amplitude of 0.20 (U=3-)[6] According to the survey carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite, Cheshirecat measures 14.12 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.109.