(153591) 2001 SN263

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(153591) 2001 SN263
2001sn263 arecibo.png
Radar image of 2001 SN263 and its two satellites imaged by the Arecibo Observatory in 2008
Discovery [1]
Discovered by LINEAR
Discovery site Lincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date20 September 2001
Designations
(153591) 2001 SN263
2001 SN263
NEO  · Amor [1] [2]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 25.18 yr (9,198 days)
Aphelion 2.9368 AU
Perihelion 1.0363 AU
1.9865 AU
Eccentricity 0.4783
2.80 yr (1,023 days)
148.57°
0° 21m 7.2s / day
Inclination 6.6853°
325.83°
172.86°
Known satellites 2 [3]
Earth  MOID 0.0520 AU ·20.3 LD
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
2  km [3]
2.5±0.3 km [4]
2.6 km [5]
2.63±0.40 km [6]
Mass (917.5±2.2)×1010  kg [7]
Mean density
1.1±0.2  g/cm3 [4]
3.20±0.01  h [8]
3.423±0.001 h [lower-alpha 1]
3.42510±0.00007 h [9]
3.4256±0.0002 h [4]
0.048±0.015 [6]
C [8]  · B [lower-alpha 2]
16.81 [10]  ·16.9 [2]

    (153591) 2001 SN263 is a carbonaceous trinary [3] asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and former potentially hazardous asteroid of the Amor group, approximately 2.6 kilometers (1.6 miles) in diameter. It was discovered by the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research project at Lincoln Lab's Experimental Test Site in Socorro, New Mexico, on 20 September 2001. [1] The two synchronous minor-planet moons measure approximately 770 and 430 meters and have an orbital period of 16.46 and 150 hours, respectively. [4] [10]

    Contents

    Numbering and naming

    This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 2 April 2007. [11] As of 2018, the primary and its moons have not been named. [1] In the scientific literature, the components of the trinary system are generically referred to as Alpha, Beta and Gamma, but these labels are not recognized by the IAU. [5] [4]

    Primary

    2001 SN263, the primary object of this trinary system, is an unusual carbonaceous near-Earth asteroid of a C- or somewhat brighter B-type. [8] [lower-alpha 2] It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.0–2.9  AU once every 2 years and 10 months (1,023 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.48 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic. [2] A first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory during the Digitized Sky Survey in 1990, extending the body's observation arc by 11 years prior to its official discovery observation at Socorro. [1]

    It has an Earth minimum orbital intersection distance (MOID) of 0.0520 AU (7,780,000 km), which translates into 20.3 lunar distances. [2] With an Earth MOID above 0.05 AU, 2001 SN263 is no longer a potentially hazardous asteroid, but it was classified as such by the MPC until early 2017. [1] [12]

    Radar observations show that it measures 2.5 kilometers in diameter. [4] Its surface has a low albedo of 0.048. [6] Rotational lightcurves obtained from photometric observations gave a rotation period of 3.423 hours (best result) with a brightness variation between 0.13 and 0.27 magnitude ( U=2/3/3 ). [8] [9] [lower-alpha 1] Radar observations gave a concurring period of 3.4256 hours, and subsequent modeling of both radiometric and photometric observations gave a spin axis of (309.0°, −80.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β). [4]

    Trinary system

    In 2008, scientists using the planetary radar at Arecibo Observatory discovered that the object is orbited by two satellites, when the triple asteroid made a close approach to Earth of 0.066 AU (nearly 10 million kilometers). The largest body (preliminarily called Alpha) is spheroid in shape, with principal axes of 2.8±0.1 km, 2.7±0.1 km, and 2.9±0.3 km, with an effective diameter of 2.5±0.3 km and a density of 1.1±0.2 g/cm3. The satellites, named Beta and Gamma, are several times smaller in size. Beta is 0.77±0.12 km in diameter and Gamma0.43±0.14 km. [4]

    The only other unambiguously identified triple asteroids in the near-Earth population are (136617) 1994 CC, which was discovered to be a triple system in 2009, and 3122 Florence, which was found to be a triple system in September 2017. [13]

    Orbital characteristics of satellites

    The orbital properties of the satellites are listed in this table. [7] The orbital planes of both satellites are inclined relative to each other; the relative inclination is about 14 degrees. Such a large inclination is suggestive of past evolutionary events (e.g. close encounter with a terrestrial planet, mean-motion-resonance crossing) that may have excited their orbits from a coplanar configuration to an inclined state.

    NameMass (est.)Semi-major axisOrbital periodEccentricity
    Gamma (inner)10×1010  kg 3.8 km0.686 days0.016
    Beta (outer)24×1010 kg16.6 km6.225 days0.015

    Exploration

    This triple asteroid system is the target for the planned ASTER mission scheduled for launch in 2025 by the Brazilian Space Agency. [14]

    Notes

    1. 1 2 Warner (2011) web: lightcurve plot of (153591) 2001 SN263, Palmer Divide Observatory, Brian D. Warner (2008). Photometric observations from 20 February 2008: rotation period 3.423±0.001 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.14±0.02 magnitude. Quality code: 3. Summary figures for all obtained lightcurves at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (153591)
    2. 1 2 Perna (2014): photometric observation from 24 June 2011: with a brightness amplitude of mag. Summary figures at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (153591)

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    References

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