2003 YN107
Encyclopedia
is a very small Near-Earth object
. It was discovered by the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research
(LINEAR) system in orbit around the Sun
on December 20, 2003. Its diameter is approximately 10 to 30 metres, which is near the most commonly used 10-metre demarcation line between meteoroid
s and asteroid
s. is on NASA
's Earth Close Approach list, and is estimated to miss the Earth by 0.0599 AU
.
It revolves around the Sun on an Earth-like, almost circular, orbit. Its orbital period
of 363.846 day
s also is very close to the Sidereal year
. Its most remarkable properties are that it has kept a distance of less than 0.1 AU (15 Gm or 15 million kilometres) in the time from 1996 to 2006 and that it slowly orbits the Earth
during one year. However, is no second moon
, as it is not bound to the Earth. It is the first discovered member of a postulated group of coorbital objects, or quasi-satellite
s, which show these path characteristics. Other members of this group include 10563 Izhdubar
, 54509 YORP
, , , and .
Before 1996, the asteroid had been on a so-called horseshoe orbit
around the sun, along the Earth's orbit. After 2006, it had regained such an orbit. In that, it is very similar to the object . Apparently, this kind of orbit change is common for coorbital objects. will become a quasi-satellite of the Earth in approximately 600 years.
Near-Earth object
A near-Earth object is a Solar System object whose orbit brings it into close proximity with the Earth. All NEOs have a perihelion distance less than 1.3 AU. They include a few thousand near-Earth asteroids , near-Earth comets, a number of solar-orbiting spacecraft, and meteoroids large enough to...
. It was discovered by the Lincoln Near Earth Asteroid Research
Linear
In mathematics, a linear map or function f is a function which satisfies the following two properties:* Additivity : f = f + f...
(LINEAR) system in orbit around the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
on December 20, 2003. Its diameter is approximately 10 to 30 metres, which is near the most commonly used 10-metre demarcation line between meteoroid
Meteoroid
A meteoroid is a sand- to boulder-sized particle of debris in the Solar System. The visible path of a meteoroid that enters Earth's atmosphere is called a meteor, or colloquially a shooting star or falling star. If a meteoroid reaches the ground and survives impact, then it is called a meteorite...
s and asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
s. is on NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
's Earth Close Approach list, and is estimated to miss the Earth by 0.0599 AU
Astronomical unit
An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance....
.
It revolves around the Sun on an Earth-like, almost circular, orbit. Its orbital period
Orbital period
The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of...
of 363.846 day
Day
A day is a unit of time, commonly defined as an interval equal to 24 hours. It also can mean that portion of the full day during which a location is illuminated by the light of the sun...
s also is very close to the Sidereal year
Sidereal year
A sidereal year is the time taken by the Earth to orbit the Sun once with respect to the fixed stars. Hence it is also the time taken for the Sun to return to the same position with respect to the fixed stars after apparently travelling once around the ecliptic. It was equal to at noon 1 January...
. Its most remarkable properties are that it has kept a distance of less than 0.1 AU (15 Gm or 15 million kilometres) in the time from 1996 to 2006 and that it slowly orbits the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
during one year. However, is no second moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, as it is not bound to the Earth. It is the first discovered member of a postulated group of coorbital objects, or quasi-satellite
Quasi-satellite
A quasi-satellite is an object in a 1:1 orbital resonance with its planet that stays close to the planet over many orbital periods.A quasi-satellite's orbit around the Sun takes exactly the same time as the planet's, but has a different eccentricity , as shown in the diagram on the right...
s, which show these path characteristics. Other members of this group include 10563 Izhdubar
10563 Izhdubar
10563 Izhdubar is an Apollo asteroid discovered on November 19, 1993 by C. S. Shoemaker and E. M. Shoemaker at Palomar.-References:...
, 54509 YORP
54509 YORP
54509 YORP is an Apollo Near-Earth Object discovered on August 3, 2000 by the Lincoln Laboratory Near-Earth Asteroid Research Team at Socorro. Measurements of the rotation rate of this object provided the first observational evidence of the YORP effect, hence the name of the asteroid...
, , , and .
Before 1996, the asteroid had been on a so-called horseshoe orbit
Horseshoe orbit
A horseshoe orbit is a type of co-orbital motion of a small orbiting body relative to a larger orbiting body . The orbital period of the smaller body is very nearly the same as for the larger body, and its path appears to have a horseshoe shape in a rotating reference frame as viewed from the...
around the sun, along the Earth's orbit. After 2006, it had regained such an orbit. In that, it is very similar to the object . Apparently, this kind of orbit change is common for coorbital objects. will become a quasi-satellite of the Earth in approximately 600 years.
External links
- NASA's Near-Earth Object close approach tables
- NEODyS' information on
- Corkscrew Asteroid, Dr. Tony Phillips, Science@NASA, June 9, 2006.