Astronomy:(153591) 2001 SN263
Radar image of 2001 SN263 and its two satellites imaged by the Arecibo Observatory in 2008 | |
Discovery[1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | LINEAR |
Discovery site | Lincoln Lab's ETS |
Discovery date | 20 September 2001 |
Designations | |
(153591) 2001 SN263 | |
2001 SN263 | |
Minor planet category | NEO · Amor[1][2] |
Orbital characteristics[2] | |
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 25.18 yr (9,198 days) |
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 2.9368 AU |
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 1.0363 AU |
1.9865 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.4783 |
Orbital period | 2.80 yr (1,023 days) |
Mean anomaly | 148.57° |
Mean motion | 0° 21m 7.2s / day |
Inclination | 6.6853° |
Longitude of ascending node | 325.83° |
172.86° | |
Known satellites | 2[3] |
Earth MOID | 0.0520 AU · 20.3 LD |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 2 km[3] 2.5±0.3 km[4] 2.6 km[5] 2.63±0.40 km[6] |
Mass | (917.5±2.2)×1010 kg[7] |
Mean density | 1.1±0.2 g/cm3[4] |
Rotation period | 3.20±0.01 h[8] 3.423±0.001 h[lower-alpha 1] 3.42510±0.00007 h[9] 3.4256±0.0002 h[4] |
Geometric albedo | 0.048±0.015[6] |
C[8] · B[lower-alpha 2] | |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.81[10] · 16.9[2] |
(153591) 2001 SN263 is a carbonaceous trinary[3] asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and former potentially hazardous asteroid of the Amor group, approximately 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) in diameter. It was discovered by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research project at Lincoln Lab's Experimental Test Site in Socorro, New Mexico, on 20 September 2001.[1] The two synchronous minor-planet moons measure approximately 770 and 430 meters and have an orbital period of 16.46 and 150 hours, respectively.[4][10]
Numbering and naming
This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 2 April 2007.[11] As of 2018, the primary and its moons have not been named.[1] In the scientific literature, the components of the trinary system are generically referred to as Alpha, Beta and Gamma, but these labels are not recognized by the IAU.[5][4]
Primary
2001 SN263, the primary object of this trinary system, is an unusual carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid of a C- or somewhat brighter B-type.[8][lower-alpha 2] It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.0–2.9 AU once every 2 years and 10 months (1,023 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.48 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] A first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory during the Digitized Sky Survey in 1990, extending the body's observation arc by 11 years prior to its official discovery observation at Socorro.[1]
It has an Earth minimum orbital intersection distance (MOID) of 0.0520 AU (7,780,000 km), which translates into 20.3 lunar distances.[2] With an Earth MOID above 0.05 AU, 2001 SN263 is no longer a potentially hazardous asteroid, but it was classified as such by the MPC until early 2017.[1][12]
Radar observations show that it measures 2.5 kilometers in diameter.[4] Its surface has a low albedo of 0.048.[6] Rotational lightcurves obtained from photometric observations gave a rotation period of 3.423 hours (best result) with a brightness variation between 0.13 and 0.27 magnitude ({{{1}}}).[8][9][lower-alpha 1] Radar observations gave a concurring period of 3.4256 hours, and subsequent modeling of both radiometric and photometric observations gave a spin axis of (309.0°, −80.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[4]
Trinary system
In 2008, scientists using the planetary radar at Arecibo Observatory discovered that the object is orbited by two satellites, when the triple asteroid made a close approach to Earth of 0.066 AU (nearly 10 million kilometers). The largest body (preliminarily called Alpha) is spheroid in shape, with principal axes of 2.8±0.1 km, 2.7±0.1 km, and 2.9±0.3 km, with an effective diameter of 2.5±0.3 km and a density of 1.1±0.2 g/cm3. The satellites, named Beta and Gamma, are several times smaller in size. Beta is 0.77±0.12 km in diameter and Gamma 0.43±0.14 km.[4]
The only other unambiguously identified triple asteroids in the near-Earth population are (136617) 1994 CC, which was discovered to be a triple system in 2009, and 3122 Florence, which was found to be a triple system in September 2017.[13]
Orbital characteristics of satellites
The orbital properties of the satellites are listed in this table.[7] The orbital planes of both satellites are inclined relative to each other; the relative inclination is about 14 degrees. Such a large inclination is suggestive of past evolutionary events (e.g. close encounter with a terrestrial planet, mean-motion-resonance crossing) that may have excited their orbits from a coplanar configuration to an inclined state.
Name | Mass (est.) | Semi-major axis | Orbital period | Eccentricity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Gamma (inner) | 10×1010 kg | 3.8 km | 0.686 days | 0.016 |
Beta (outer) | 24×1010 kg | 16.6 km | 6.225 days | 0.015 |
Exploration
This triple asteroid system is the target for the planned ASTER mission scheduled for launch in 2022 or 2025 by the Brazilian Space Agency.[14]
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Warner (2011) web: lightcurve plot of (153591) 2001 SN263, Palmer Divide Observatory, Brian D. Warner (2008). Photometric observations from 20 February 2008: rotation period 3.423±0.001 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.14±0.02 magnitude. Quality code: 3. Summary figures for all obtained lightcurves at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (153591)
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Perna (2014): photometric observation from 24 June 2011: with a brightness amplitude of mag. Summary figures at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (153591)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 "153591 (2001 SN263)". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=153591.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 153591 (2001 SN263)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2153591;cad=1.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Nolan, M. C. (February 2008). "(153591) 2001 SN_263". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams 1254 (1254): 1. Bibcode: 2008CBET.1254....1N. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2008CBET.1254....1N. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 4.5 4.6 4.7 Becker, Tracy M. (March 2015). "Physical modeling of triple near-Earth Asteroid (153591) 2001 SN263 from radar and optical light curve observations". Icarus 248: 499–515. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.10.048. Bibcode: 2015Icar..248..499B. https://echo.jpl.nasa.gov/asteroids/becker.etal.2015.2001sn263.pdf. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Becker, Tracy (September 2008). "Physical Modeling of Triple Near-Earth Asteroid 153591 (2001 SN263)". American Astronomical Society 40: 437. Bibcode: 2008DPS....40.2806B. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2008DPS....40.2806B. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 Delbo, Marco; Walsh, Kevin; Mueller, Michael; Harris, Alan W. (March 2011). "The cool surfaces of binary near-Earth asteroids". Icarus 212 (1): 138–148. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2010.12.011. Bibcode: 2011Icar..212..138D. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2011Icar..212..138D. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 Fang, Julia; Margot, Jean-Luc; Brozovic, Marina; Nolan, Michael C.; Benner, Lance A. M.; Taylor, Patrick A. (May 2011). "Orbits of Near-Earth Asteroid Triples 2001 SN263 and 1994 CC: Properties, Origin, and Evolution". The Astronomical Journal 141 (5): 15. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/141/5/154. Bibcode: 2011AJ....141..154F. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2011AJ....141..154F. Retrieved 1 June 2017.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 Betzler, Alberto Silva; Novaes, Alberto Brum; Celedon, Julian Hermogenes Quesada (October 2008). "A Study of the Trinary NEA 2001 SN263". The Minor Planet Bulletin 35 (4): 182–184. ISSN 1052-8091. Bibcode: 2008MPBu...35..182B. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2008MPBu...35..182B. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Oey, Julian (January 2009). "Lightcurve Analysis of Asteroids from Leura and Kingsgrove Observatories in the First Half of 2008". The Minor Planet Bulletin 36 (1): 4–6. ISSN 1052-8091. Bibcode: 2009MPBu...36....4O. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2009MPBu...36....4O. Retrieved 22 March 2017.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 "LCDB Data for (153591)". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=153591%7C.
- ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html.
- ↑ "153591 (2001 SN263)". Minor Planet Center. 22 March 2017. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=153591.
- ↑ "Radar Reveals Two Moons Orbiting Asteroid Florence". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. September 1, 2017. https://cneos.jpl.nasa.gov/news/news199.html.
- ↑ Ferreira, José Leonardo; Martins, Alexandre A.; Miranda, Rodrigo Andres; O. C., Helbert Jr.; Silva, Alvaro Q. D. R.; Ferreira, Ivan Soares; Sukhanov, Alexander; Winter, Othon Cabo (2017). "Development of a Solar Electric Propulsion System for the First Brazilian Deep Space Mission - IEPC-2017-166". The 35th International Electric Propulsion Conference, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA. October 8–12, 2017. https://electricrocket.org/IEPC/IEPC_2017_166.pdf.
External links
- CBET No. 1254 – (153591) 2001 SN263, Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams
- Robert Roy Britt, Triple Asteroid Found Near Earth, Space.com, 13 Feb 2008
- Emily Lakdawalla, Triple Near-Earth Asteroid Discovered The Planetary Society, 13 Feb 2008
- Images of the asteroid and its moons
- A Lander to Investigate a C-type Triple Near-Earth Asteroid System: 2001 SN263
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- (153591) 2001 SN263 at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- Ephemeris · Obs prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Obs info · Close · Physical info · NEOCC
- (153591) 2001 SN263 at ESA–space situational awareness
- (153591) 2001 SN263 at the JPL Small-Body Database
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/(153591) 2001 SN263.
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