(185851) 2000 DP107

(185851) 2000 DP₁₀₇ is a sub-kilometer sized asteroid, classified as potentially hazardous asteroid and near-Earth object of the Apollo group that is notable because it provided evidence for binary asteroids in the near-Earth population. The PROCYON probe developed by JAXA and the University of Tokyo was intended to flyby this asteroid before its ion thruster failed and could not be restarted.

(185851) 2000 DP₁₀₇

Composite of radar images by the Arecibo Observatory from September to October 2000
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	LINEAR
Discovery site	Lincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date	29 February 2000
Designations
MPC designation	(185851) 2000 DP107
Alternative designations	2000 DP107
Minor planet category	NEO · PHA · Apollo[1][2]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	16.82 yr (6,143 days)
Aphelion	1.8794 AU
Perihelion	0.8511 AU
Semi-major axis	1.3652 AU
Eccentricity	0.3766
Orbital period (sidereal)	1.60 yr (583 days)
Mean anomaly	255.78°
Mean motion	0° 37m 4.44s / day
Inclination	8.6718°
Longitude of ascending node	358.70°
Argument of perihelion	289.74°
Known satellites	1
Earth MOID	0.0150 AU · 5.8 LD
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	0.860 km (taken)[3] 0.863±0.043 km[4] 1.0±0.1 km[5]
Synodic rotation period	2.769±0.005 h[6] 2.774±0.001 h[7] 2.77447±0.00005 h[8] 2.7745±0.0007 h[4] 2.7754±0.0002 h[9] 2.7754 h[10]
Geometric albedo	0.111±0.036[5] 0.15 (derived)[3]
Spectral type	M[11] · C[3][12]
Absolute magnitude (H)	18.0[10] · 18.0±0.2 (R)[6] · 18.02±0.2[3][13] · 18.03±0.1[5] · 18.2[2]

Discovery

The asteroid was discovered on 29 February 2000, by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research (LINEAR) program at Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site, near Socorro, New Mexico.^[1]

The binary nature of this asteroid was suggested from radar observations taken with the Goldstone radar antenna on September 22 and 23, 2000, based on an observing proposal by J.-L. Margot and observations by S. J. Ostro and colleagues.^[14] Confirming observations were obtained with the Arecibo telescope from September 30 to October 7, 2000.^[15]

Orbit

2000 DP₁₀₇ orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.9–1.9 AU once every 19 months (583 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.38 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.^[2] The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation, as no precoveries were taken, and no prior identifications were made.^[1]

Binary system

The 800-meter-diameter primary and the 300-meter-diameter secondary orbit each other with a separation of 2.6 kilometers and a period of 1.76 days.^[16]

The primary is spheroidal and is spinning at a rate near the breakup point for strengthless bodies. These two features were observed in multiple binary systems, suggesting that near-Earth asteroid binaries form by a mechanism involving spin-up and mass shedding.^[16] Currently the most generally accepted spin-up mechanism is the YORP effect.

Physical characteristics

The asteroid is characterized as both a carbonaceous C-type^[12] and metallic M-type asteroid.^[11]

The density of the primary was calculated using the orbital elements of the binary system, the primary-to-secondary mass ratio, and estimates of the primary size. The primary has a low density of 1.7 g/cm³, which may indicate a "rubble pile" structure containing rocks and voids.

Numbering and naming

This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 20 May 2008.^[17] As of 2018, it has not been named.^[1]

See also

• List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft