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° | |
| 0° 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 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 1 2 "LCDB Data for (1915) Quetzalcoatl". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved November 2015.
- 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.
- ↑ "1915 Quetzalcoatl (1953 EA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved November 2015.
- ↑ 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
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 1915 Quetzálcoatl at the JPL Small-Body Database
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