3749 Balam is an 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...

 orbiting 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...

. It is named after the Canadian

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 astronomer David D. Balam

David D. Balam

David D. Balam is a Canadian astronomer and a research associate with University of Victoria's Department of Physics and Astronomy, in Victoria, British Columbia. Specializing in the search for Near-Earth objects, Balam is one of the world's most prolific contributors to this research; only two...

.

Satellite system

A satellite, designated S/2002 (3749) 1, was discovered by William J. Merline, Laird M. Close, Nick Siegler, Christophe Dumas, Clark R. Chapman, François J. Rigaut, François Ménard, William M. Owen Jr., and David C. Slater from the Gemini North Telescope, Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea

Mauna Kea is a volcano on the island of Hawaii. Standing above sea level, its peak is the highest point in the state of Hawaii. However, much of the mountain is under water; when measured from its oceanic base, Mauna Kea is over tall—significantly taller than Mount Everest...

; this was announced on February 13, 2002. The 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...

, about 1.5 km in diameter, orbits 310±20 km away in 110±25 d, with an eccentricity of 0.15±0.15.

Being such as small primary body in the inner main belt with a of over 100 primary radii, S/2002 (3749) 1 is the most loosely-bound binary known.

In March 2008, Franck Marchis

Franck Marchis

Franck Marchis , astronomer and planetary scientist, is best known for his discovery and characterization of multiple asteroids and its study of Io volcanism.The asteroid 6639 Marchis was named in his honor on April 4, 2007....

 discovered a larger (~3 km) inner companion, making this a triple system.

External links

• Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Ephemeris
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets
• Johnston Archive entry for 3749 Balam
• IAUC 7827
• Franck Marchis entry for 3749 Balam
• Orbits of Binary Asteroids with Adaptive Optics (VLT
  Very Large Telescope
  The Very Large Telescope is a telescope operated by the European Southern Observatory on Cerro Paranal in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile. The VLT consists of four individual telescopes, each with a primary mirror 8.2m across, which are generally used separately but can be used together to...
  
  images)