1915 Quetzálcoatl

1915 Quetzálcoatl
Discovery [1]
Discovered by A. G. Wilson
Discovery site Palomar Obs.
Discovery date 9 March 1953
Designations
MPC designation 1915 Quetzálcoatl
Named after
Quetzalcoatl
(Mesoamerican deity)[2]
1953 EA
NEO · Amor · Alinda
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 51.59 yr (18842 days)
Aphelion 3.9969 AU (597.93 Gm)
Perihelion 1.0929 AU (163.50 Gm)
2.5449 AU (380.71 Gm)
Eccentricity 0.57055
4.06 yr (1482.9 d)
226.85°
 14m 33.972s / day
Inclination 20.404°
162.96°
347.86°
Earth MOID 0.108757 AU (16.2698 Gm)
Jupiter MOID 1.06559 AU (159.410 Gm)
Jupiter Tisserand parameter 3.121
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 0.5 km[1]
0.40 km[3][4]
Mean radius
0.25 km
4.9 h (0.20 d)[1][5]
0.21[1]
0.31[3]
B–V = 0.784
U–B = 0.430
Tholen = SMU [1]
S[4]
18.97[1]

    1915 Quetzálcoatl, provisional designation 1953 EA, is a very eccentric, stony asteroid classified as near-Earth object, about half a kilometer in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Albert George Wilson at Palomar Observatory, California on March 9, 1953.[6]

    The asteroid is an Amor asteroid – a subgroup of near-Earth asteroids that approach the orbit of Earth from beyond, but do not cross it – and a member of the Alinda family of highly eccentric asteroids. Its Earth Minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) is 0.11 AU and on February 24, 2062, it will make a close approach and pass by Earth at a distance of 0.1339 AU (20,030,000 km; 12,450,000 mi).[1]

    Classified as a SMU-subtype in the Tholen taxonomy, the S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.1–4.0 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,483 days). Its orbit is highly eccentric (0.57) and notably tilted by 20 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic. It has a rotation period of 4.9 hours[5] and an albedo of 0.21–0.31.[3] In 1981, this object was observed with radar from the Arecibo Observatory at a distance of 0.09 AU. The measured radar cross-section was 0.02 km2.[7]

    It is named after the "feathered serpent" Quetzalcoatl, the Mesoamerican deity of wisdom and culture who brought learning to the Toltec people.[2]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1915 Quetzalcoatl (1953 EA)" (2004-10-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1915) Quetzálcoatl. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 154. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved October 2015.
    3. 1 2 3 Harris, Alan W. (February 1998). "A Thermal Model for Near-Earth Asteroids". Icarus 131 (2): 291–301. Bibcode:1998Icar..131..291H. doi:10.1006/icar.1997.5865. Retrieved November 2015.
    4. 1 2 "LCDB Data for (1915) Quetzalcoatl". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved November 2015.
    5. 1 2 Binzel, R. P.; Tholen, D. J. (September 1983). "The rotation, color, phase coefficient, and diameter of 1915 Quetzalcoatl". Icarus: 495–497. Bibcode:1983Icar...55..495B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(83)90118-5. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved November 2015.
    6. "1915 Quetzalcoatl (1953 EA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved November 2015.
    7. Ostro, S. J.; et al. (October 1991), "Asteroid radar astrometry", Astronomical Journal 102, pp. 1490–1502, Bibcode:1991AJ....102.1490O, doi:10.1086/115975

    External links


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