3554 Amun

3554 Amun
Orbit diagram of asteroid Amun with location as of September 9, 2012
Discovery
Discovered byC. Shoemaker
E. M. Shoemaker
Discovery date4 March 1986
Designations
(3554) Amun
Named after
Amun
1986 EB
Aten [1]
Venus-crosser asteroid
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc10923 days (29.91 yr)
Aphelion1.24677 AU (186.514 Gm)
Perihelion0.700578 AU (104.8050 Gm)
0.973675 AU (145.6597 Gm)
Eccentricity0.28048
0.961 yr (350.9 d)
184.781°
1.02585°/day
Inclination23.3626°
358.627°
359.392°
Earth MOID0.250204 AU (37.4300 Gm)
Physical characteristics
3.341 km[1]
Mass~ 1.6×1013 kg
2.53001 h (0.105417 d)[1]
0.1284±0.024[1]
M-type asteroid
15.82[1]

3554 Amun is an Aten asteroid, meaning it crosses Earth's orbit, and a Venus-crosser. It was discovered on 4 March 1986 by Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker at Mount Palomar Observatory, and named for the ancient Egyptian deity Amun.[2] Amun was the fifth Aten asteroid to be numbered.

Photometric observations of 3554 Amun during 2017–2018 were combined to determine a rotation period of 2.53029±0.00002 hours.[3] It has been classified as an M-type asteroid in the Tholen taxonomy, X-type in the Bus taxonomy, and C-, X-, and D-type in the Bus-DeMeo taxonomy. The featureless optical spectrum has a similar slope to the Tagish Lake meteorite, although 3554 Amun is not considered the source.[4] The infrared spectrum of 3554 Amun was found to match a D-type asteroid taxonomy.[5] The estimated diameter is 3.341 kilometers,[1] making it one of the smallest known asteroids to have an M-type classification.[citation needed]

Amun was once considered metallic, based on an M-type optical spectrum. In Mining the Sky, planetary scientist John S. Lewis calculated the purported value of a metallic 3554 Amun at $20 trillion.[6] (6178) 1986 DA is another M-type near-Earth asteroid with lower inclination that is actually metallic.

Amun passes close to Venus, and in 1964, 2034, and 2103 comes within 10 Gm of it.[1]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3554 Amun (1986 EB)" (2014-02-19 last obs (arc=27.9 yr)). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 11 April 2016.
  2. ^ Schmadel, Lutz (2003). Dictionary of minor planet names. Vol. 1. Springer. p. 299. ISBN 9783540002383.
  3. ^ Koehn, Bruce W.; et al. (October 2014). "Lowell Observatory Near-Earth Asteroid Photometric Survey (NEAPS) - 2009 January through 2009 June". Bulletin of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers. 41 (4): 286–300. Bibcode:2014MPBu...41..286K.
  4. ^ Izawa, M. R. M.; et al. (July 2015). "Variability, absorption features, and parent body searches in "spectrally featureless" meteorite reflectance spectra: Case study - Tagish Lake". Icarus. 254: 324–332. Bibcode:2015Icar..254..324I. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.04.013.
  5. ^ Thomas, Cristina A.; et al. (January 2014). "Physical characterization of Warm Spitzer-observed near-Earth objects". Icarus. 228: 217–246. arXiv:1310.2000. Bibcode:2014Icar..228..217T. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.10.004. S2CID 119278697.
  6. ^ "NSS Review: Mining the Sky". www.nss.org. Archived from the original on 14 May 2012. Retrieved 26 February 2018.