Asteroid (3200) Phaethon imaged on December 25, 2010, with the 37 cm F14 Cassegrain telescope of Winer Observatory, Sonoita (MPC 857) by Marco Langbroek
|
|
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by |
Simon Green and John K. Davies / IRAS |
Discovery date | 11 October 1983 |
Designations | |
Named after
|
Phaëton |
1983 TB | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 11,782 days (32.26 a) |
Aphelion | 2.4023989 AU (359.39376 Gm) |
Perihelion | 0.1399901 AU (20.94222 Gm) |
1.2711945 AU (190.16799 Gm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.889875 |
523.5 days (1.433 a) | |
Average orbital speed
|
19.98 km/s (12.41 mi/s) |
208.8333448965680° | |
0° 41m 15.646s / day | |
Inclination | 22.24284235233220° |
265.2551261641390° | |
322.149111356234° | |
Earth MOID | 0.0198672 AU (2.97209 Gm) |
Jupiter MOID | 2.73395 AU (408.993 Gm) |
Jupiter Tisserand parameter | 4.511 |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 5.1 ± 0.2 km (3.17 ± 0.12 mi) |
Mean radius
|
2.55 ± 0.1 km (1.584 ± 0.062 mi) |
3.604 hours (0.1502 d) | |
±0.011 0.1066 | |
Temperature | ~ 247 K |
B-type asteroid | |
14.6 | |
3200 Phaethon (/ˈfeɪ.əθɒn/ FAY-ə-thon, sometimes incorrectly spelled Phaeton) is an Apollo asteroid with an unusual orbit that brings it closer to the Sun than any other named asteroid (though there are several unnamed asteroids, including three numbered ones, with smaller perihelia, e.g. (137924) 2000 BD19). For this reason, it was named after the Greek myth of Phaëton, son of the sun god Helios. It is 5.1 ± 0.2 km (3.17 ± 0.12 mi) in mean diameter.
Phaethon was the first asteroid to be discovered using images from a spacecraft. Simon F. Green and John K. Davies discovered it in images from October 11, 1983, while searching Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS) data for moving objects. It was formally announced on October 14 in IAUC 3878 along with optical confirmation by Charles T. Kowal, who reported it to be asteroidal in appearance. Its provisional designation was 1983 TB, and it later received the numerical designation and name 3200 Phaethon in 1985.