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(136617) 1994 CC

Near-Earth asteroid

Field	Value
minorplanet	yes
name	(136617) 1994 CC
background	#FFC2E0
image	1994CC-with-moons.gif
caption
discovery_ref
discovered	3 February 1994
discoverer	Spacewatch
discovery_site	Kitt Peak National Obs.
mpc_name	(136617) 1994 CC
alt_names	1994 CC
named_after
mp_category	NEOPHAApollo
Earth-crosser
orbit_ref
epoch	4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
uncertainty	0
observation_arc	28.45 yr (10,391 days)
aphelion	2.3206 AU
perihelion	0.9551 AU
semimajor	1.6378 AU
eccentricity	0.4169
period	2.10 yr (766 days)
mean_anomaly	321.07°
mean_motion	/ day
inclination	4.6806°
asc_node	268.55°
arg_peri	24.842°
moid	0.0157 AU6.1 LD
satellites	2
mean_diameter	km
km
rotation	h
h
albedo	0.3821 (derived)
spectral_type	SqSaS
abs_magnitude	17.0017.7

Earth-crosser km h

**** is a sub-kilometer triple asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group.

Discovery

was discovered by Spacewatch's Jim Scotti at Kitt Peak National Observatory on 3 February 1994. In June 2009 it was shown to be a triple system, i.e. the largest body is orbited by two satellites; only about one percent (1%) of near-Earth asteroids observed by a radar are found to be triple systems such as this one. The only other unambiguously identified triple asteroids in the near-Earth population are , which was discovered to be a triple system in 2008, and 3122 Florence, which was found to be a triple system in 2017.

Observations

1994 CC}} at two different times with its two moons

A team of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) (Pasadena, California) scientists led by Marina Brozovic and Lance Benner, made the discovery using radar imaging at NASA's Goldstone Solar System Radar on June 12 and June 14, 2009. They showed that the near-Earth asteroid is a triple system, which encountered Earth within 2.52 million kilometers on June 10, 2009. This relatively close approach to Earth made the discovery possible, as before the approach, scientists knew very little about this asteroid. In fact, is only the second triple system known in the near-Earth objects population.

1994 CC consists of a central object about 700 meters in diameter that has two moons revolving around it. Scientists' preliminary analysis of the system suggests that the moons are at least 50 meters in diameter. In a similar study, the radar observations at Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico, led by the Mike Nolan, also confirmed the detection of all three objects. The scientists plan to use the combined observations from the Goldstone and Arecibo observatories to study 's orbital and physical properties further.

The next similar Earth flyby for the asteroid will happen in 2074 when the triple system is projected to fly past Earth at a distance of 2.5 million kilometers.

Orbital characteristics of satellites

The orbital properties of the satellites are listed in this table. The orbital planes of both satellites are inclined relative to each other, by approximately 16°. 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.

Name	Mass
[109 kg]	Semi-major axis
[km]	Orbital period
[days]	Eccentricity	Inclination
(relative to asteroid)
[°]
Beta	~6	1.7	1.243	0.002	95
Gamma	~1	6.1	8.376	0.192	79

Numbering and naming

This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 5 December 2006. , it has not been named.

References

Fang, Julia. (May 2011). "Orbits of Near-Earth Asteroid Triples 2001 SN263 and {{mp". Astronomical Journal.

Info: Wikipedia Source

This article was imported from Wikipedia and is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Content has been adapted to SurfDoc format. Original contributors can be found on the article history page.

apollo-asteroids discoveries-by-the-spacewatch-project triple-minor-planets potentially-hazardous-asteroids 1994-in-science 2009-in-science astronomical-objects-discovered-in-1994

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