(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]

(6037) 1988 EG

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	J. Alu
Discovery site	Palomar Obs.
Discovery date	12 March 1988
Designations
MPC designation	(6037) 1988 EG
Alternative designations	1988 EG
Minor planet category	Apollo · NEO · PHA[2]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	28.24 yr (10,315 days)
Aphelion	1.9064 AU
Perihelion	0.6359 AU
Semi-major axis	1.2711 AU
Eccentricity	0.4997
Orbital period (sidereal)	1.43 yr (523 days)
Mean anomaly	261.93°
Mean motion	0° 41m 15.72s / day
Inclination	3.4998°
Longitude of ascending node	182.48°
Argument of perihelion	242.07°
Earth MOID	0.0243 AU · 9.5 LD
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	0.399±0.027 km[3] 0.54 km (derived)[4]
Synodic rotation period	2.760±0.002 h[a]
Geometric albedo	0.20 (assumed)[4] 0.37±0.05[3]
Spectral type	S[4]
Absolute magnitude (H)	18.7[1][4] · 19.18±0.20[5]

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).^[a]

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)