(66063) 1998 RO1

(66063) 1998 RO1
Orbit of 1998 RO1
Discovery[1][2]
Discovered byLINEAR
Discovery siteLincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date14 September 1998
Designations
(66063) 1998 RO1
1998 RO1 · 1999 SN5
NEO · Aten[1]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc13.99 yr (5,111 days)
Aphelion1.7045 AU
Perihelion0.2774 AU
0.9910 AU
Eccentricity0.7200
0.99 yr (360 days)
348.97°
0° 59m 56.76s / day
Inclination22.678°
351.88°
151.13°
Known satellites1 (D: 0.38 km; P: 14.53 h)[3][4][5][6]
Earth MOID0.0921 AU · 35.9 LD
Physical characteristics
0.62±0.25 km[7]
0.72 km (est. at 0.20)[8]
0.8±0.15 km[3][9]
0.860 km (derived)[10]
Mean density
2.8±1.3 g/cm3[6]
2.4924±0.0003 h[4]
2.4924 h[5][9]
0.145[9]
0.30±0.17[7]
S[10][11][12]
18.00[12] · 18.04[9] · 18.05[10] · 18.05±0.071[13] · 18.1[1]

(66063) 1998 RO1 is a stony near-Earth object of the Aten group on a highly-eccentric orbit. The synchronous binary system measures approximately 800 meters (0.50 miles) in diameter. It was discovered by astronomers of the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research at the Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site near Socorro, New Mexico, on 14 September 1998.[2]

Its minor-planet moon, provisionally designated S/2001 (66063) 1, was discovered in September 2003. It has an orbital period of 14.53 hours and measures approximately 48% of its primary, or 380 meters.[1][3] It is one of seven known Aten binaries as of 2017.

Interaction with Earth

1998 RO1's orbit is very eccentric, with an aphelion beyond the orbit of Mars and a perihelion inside the orbit of Mercury.[3] It has an orbital period of 360.29 days (0.99 years) and makes close approaches to Earth.[1] But 1998 RO1 makes closer approaches to other inner planets, especially Mars. Its closest approach to a planet between 1950–2200 was to Mars, as it passed 0.00898 AU (1,343,000 km) from Mars on 18 March 1964, and will pass 0.0054 AU (810,000 km) from Mars on 12 October 2065.[1]

Moon

Binary asteroid example

1998 RO1 has one moon, S/2001 (66063) 1. This moon was discovered from lightcurve observations going from 13 to 28 September 2013, and was confirmed by radar observations from the Arecibo Observatory one year later. It is in a very close orbit to 1998 RO1, with a semi-major axis of 800 m (2,600 ft) and an eccentricity of 0.06,[3] giving it a periapsis of 752 m (2,467 ft) and an apoapsis of 848 m (2,782 ft). S/2001 (66063) 1 takes 14.54 hours to complete one orbit around 1998 RO1.[3]

From the surface of 1998 RO1, S/2001 (66063) 1 would have an apparent diameter of roughly 41°.[a] For comparison, the Sun appears to be 0.5° from Earth. The secondary orbits its primary in a manner very similar to the adjunct image, where the red cross is the center of mass.

Numbering and naming

This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 10 September 2003.[14] As of 2018, it has not been named.[2]

Notes

  1. ^ Calculated by solving .

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 66063 (1998 RO1)" (2010-09-10 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "66063 (1998 RO1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  3. ^ a b c d e f Johnston, Wm. Robert (20 September 2014). "Asteroids with Satellites Database – (66063) 1998 RO1". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  4. ^ a b Galád, A.; Kornos, L.; Gajdos, S.; Világi, J.; Tóth, J. (October 2004). "Relative photometry of numbered asteroids (3712), (4197), (5587), (28753) and (66063)". Contributions of the Astronomical Observatory Skalnaté Pleso. 34 (3): 157–166.(CoSkaHomepage). Bibcode:2004CoSka..34..157G.
  5. ^ a b Pravec, P.; Kusnirak, P.; Sarounova, L.; Brown, P.; Esquerdo, G.; Pray, D.; et al. (October 2003). "(66063) 1998 RO_1". IAU Circ. 8216 (8216): 3. Bibcode:2003IAUC.8216....3P.
  6. ^ a b Scheirich, P.; Pravec, P. (April 2009). "Modeling of lightcurves of binary asteroids". Icarus. 200 (2): 531–547. Bibcode:2009Icar..200..531S. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2008.12.001.
  7. ^ a b Wolters, Stephen D.; Green, Simon F.; McBride, Neil; Davies, John K. (February 2008). "Thermal infrared and optical observations of four near-Earth asteroids" (PDF). Icarus. 193 (2): 535–552. Bibcode:2008Icar..193..535W. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.08.011.
  8. ^ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d Pravec, P.; Scheirich, P.; Kusnirák, P.; Sarounová, L.; Mottola, S.; Hahn, G.; et al. (March 2006). "Photometric survey of binary near-Earth asteroids". Icarus. 181 (1): 63–93. Bibcode:2006Icar..181...63P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.10.014.
  10. ^ a b c "LCDB Data for (66063)". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 18 November 2017.
  11. ^ Abell, P. A.; Gaffey, M. J.; Landis, R. R.; Jarvis, K. S. (March 2005). "Compositional Investigation of Binary Near-Earth Asteroid 66063 (1998 RO1): A Potentially Undifferentiated Assemblage". 36th Annual Lunar and Planetary Science Conference: 2283. Bibcode:2005LPI....36.2283A.
  12. ^ a b Carry, B.; Solano, E.; Eggl, S.; DeMeo, F. E. (April 2016). "Spectral properties of near-Earth and Mars-crossing asteroids using Sloan photometry". Icarus. 268: 340–354. arXiv:1601.02087. Bibcode:2016Icar..268..340C. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.12.047. S2CID 119258489.
  13. ^ Pravec, Petr; Harris, Alan W.; Kusnirák, Peter; Galád, Adrián; Hornoch, Kamil (September 2012). "Absolute magnitudes of asteroids and a revision of asteroid albedo estimates from WISE thermal observations". Icarus. 221 (1): 365–387. Bibcode:2012Icar..221..365P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.026.
  14. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 24 February 2018.