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(385250) 2001 DH47
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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(385250) 2001 DH47, provisional designation 2001 DH47, is a sub-kilometer asteroid and Mars trojan orbiting 60° behind the orbit of Mars near the L5 point.[2][3]
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Discovery, orbit and physical properties
2001 DH47 was discovered on 1 February 2001 by the Spacewatch program, observing from Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak[4] and classified as Mars-crosser by the Minor Planet Center. Its orbit is characterized by low eccentricity (0.035), moderate inclination (24.4º) and a semi-major axis of 1.52 AU.[4] Its orbit is well determined as it is currently (March 2013) based on 45 observations with a data-arc span of 3,148 days.[1] It has an absolute magnitude of 19.7 which gives a characteristic diameter of 562 m.[1]
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Mars trojan and orbital evolution
It was identified as Mars trojan by H. Scholl, F. Marzari and P. Tricarico in 2005 and its dynamical half-lifetime was found to be of the order of the age of the Solar System.[2] Recent calculations[3] confirm that it is indeed a stable L5 Mars trojan with a libration period of 1365 yr and an amplitude of 11°. These values as well as its short-term orbital evolution are very similar to those of 5261 Eureka.
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Origin
Long-term numerical integrations show that its orbit is very stable on Gyr time-scales (1 Gyr = 1 billion years).[2][3] As in the case of Eureka, calculations in both directions of time (4.5 Gyr into the past and 4.5 Gyr into the future) indicate that 2001 DH47 may be a primordial object, perhaps a survivor of the planetesimal population that formed in the terrestrial planets region early in the history of the Solar System.[3]
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References
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External links
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