(6037)_1988_EG

(6037) 1988 EG

(6037) 1988 EG (provisional designation 1988 EG) is an eccentric, stony asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid. It belongs to the group of Apollo asteroids and measures approximately half a kilometer in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Jeff T. Alu at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, California, on 12 March 1988.[2]

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Classification and orbit

An S-type asteroid, 1988 EG orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.6–1.9 AU once every 1 years and 5 months (523 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.50 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

The asteroid has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.0243 AU (3,600,000 km). In combination with its size, this makes it a potentially hazardous asteroid. A PHA requires a MOID with Earth of less than 0.05 AU, which is about 19.5 times the distance to the Moon, and a diameter of at least 150 meters. On 27 February 2041, it will pass 0.02437 AU (3,646,000 km) from Earth. It also makes close approaches to Mars and Venus.[1]

Physical characteristics

Lightcurve

An ambiguous lightcurve was obtained through photometric observations by Czech astronomer Petr Pravec in 1998. The light-curve gave a rotation period of 2.760±0.002 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 in magnitude. The alternative period solution is 2.919±0.22 hours with an amplitude of 0.22 in magnitude (U=2).[lower-alpha 1]

Diameter and albedo

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 540 meters, based on an absolute magnitude of 18.7.[4] Observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope using its Infrared Array Camera at wavelengths between 3.6 and 8.0 micrometers, gave an average diameter of 399 meters with a higher albedo of 0.37.[3]

Notes

  1. Pravec (1998) web: rotation period 2.760±0.002 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 mag. Summary figures at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (6037) and Pravec, P.; Wolf, M.; Sarounova, L. (1998)

References

  1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 6037 (1988 EG)" (2016-06-08 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  2. "6037 (1988 EG)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  3. Trilling, D. E.; Mueller, M.; Hora, J. L.; Fazio, G.; Spahr, T.; Stansberry, J. A.; et al. (August 2008). "Diameters and Albedos of Three Subkilometer Near-Earth Objects Derived from Spitzer Observations". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 683 (2). arXiv:0807.1717. Bibcode:2008ApJ...683L.199T. doi:10.1086/591668. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  4. "LCDB Data for (6037)". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  5. Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Retrieved 29 June 2016.

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