4581 Asclepius
| Discovery Perihelion | 0.6574 AU | |
|---|---|---|
| 1.0224 AU | ||
| Eccentricity | 0.3570 | |
| 1.03 yr (378 days) | ||
| 194.55° | ||
| 0° 57m 12.24s / day | ||
| Inclination | 4.9190° | |
| 180.30° | ||
| 255.30° | ||
| Earth MOID | 0.0036 AU | |
| Physical characteristics | ||
| Dimensions | 300 m[citation needed] | |
| 20.7[1] | ||
4581 Asclepius
Asclepius passed by Earth on 22 March 1989 at a distance of 0.00457 AU (684,000 km; 425,000 mi).[5][6] Although this exceeds the Moon's orbital radius, the close pass received attention at that time. "On the cosmic scale of things, that was a close call", said Dr. Henry Holt.[7] Geophysicists estimate that collision with Asclepius would release energy comparable to the explosion of a 600 megaton atomic bomb.[8] The asteroid was discovered 31 March 1989, nine days after its closest approach to the Earth.[9]
Subsequent discoveries revealed that a whole class of
On 24 March 2051, the asteroid will pass 0.0123 AU (1,840,000 km; 1,140,000 mi) from the Earth.[5][6] It will be the eighth pass of less than 30 Gm in this century.[5] JPL shows that the uncertainty region of the asteroid will cause it to most likely pass from 0.02 AU to 0.17 AU from the Earth in 2135.[5]
References
- ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 4581 Asclepius (1989 FC)" (2016-07-06 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
- ^ ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ a b "4581 Asclepius (1989 FC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d "JPL Close-Approach Data: 4581 Asclepius (1989 FC)" (2015-08-10 last obs (arc=26.36 years)). Archived from the original on 30 December 2016. Retrieved 9 January 2016.
- ^ a b "NEODyS-2 Close Approaches for (4581) Asclepius". Near Earth Objects – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 8 November 2011.
- ^ "Asteroid's Passing a 'Close Call' for Earth, NASA Says". Los Angeles Times. 20 April 1989. Retrieved 7 May 2010.
- ISSN 1758-3411. Retrieved 1 March 2018.
- ^ Brian G. Marsden (29 March 1998). "How the Asteroid Story Hit: An Astronomer Reveals How a Discovery Spun Out of Control". Minor Planet Center and Boston Globe newspaper. Retrieved 14 November 2011.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)–(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 4581 Asclepius at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- 4581 Asclepius at the JPL Small-Body Database
