524522 Zoozve

Discovery, orbit and physical properties

Zoozve was discovered on 11 November 2002 by Brian A. Skiff at Lowell Observatory. As of February 2013, it has been observed telescopically 457 times with a data-arc span of 2,947 days, and it was the target of Doppler observations on five occasions; therefore, its orbit is very well determined. Its semi-major axis of 0.7237 AU is very similar to that of Venus, but its eccentricity is relatively large (0.4104), and its orbital inclination is also significant (9.0060°). The spectrum of Zoozve implies that it is an X-type asteroid and hence an albedo of about 0.25 should be assumed. The body is calculated to measure 236 meters in diameter. Its rotational period is 13.5 hours, and its light curve has an amplitude of 0.9 mag, which hints at a very elongated body, perhaps a contact binary.

Quasi-satellite dynamical state and orbital evolution

The existence of retrograde satellites or quasi-satellites was first considered by J. Jackson in 1913 but none were discovered until almost 90 years later. It seems to have been co-orbital with Venus for only the last 7,000 years, and is destined to be ejected from this orbital arrangement about 500 years from now, where it will become a Venus trojan orbiting at Venus' point. During this time, its distance to Venus has been and will remain larger than about 0.2 AU.

Potentially hazardous asteroid

Zoozve is included in the Minor Planet Center list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) because it comes relatively frequently to within 0.05 AU of Earth. Approaches as close as 0.04 AU occur with a periodicity of 8 years due to its near 8:13 resonance with Earth. Zoozve was discovered during the close approaches of 11 November 2002. It approached Earth on 7 November 2010, again on 4 November 2018, and its next fly-by with Earth will happen on 2 November 2026 within 0.0402 AU (15.7 Lunar distances). Numerical simulations indicate that an actual collision with Earth during the next 10,000 years is not likely, although dangerously close approaches to about 0.002 AU are possible, a distance potentially within Earth's Hill sphere.

Numbering and naming

This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 18 May 2019 (M.P.C. 114620).{{cite web

On 26 January 2024, Radiolab aired an episode about the asteroid, which co-host Latif Nasser first noticed on his child's solar system poster, where it was referred to as "ZOOZVE", derived from the artist, Alex Foster, misreading his notes regarding the asteroid's provisional designation "2002VE". This led Skiff to propose the name "Zoozve", on Nasser's behalf, to the International Astronomical Union's Working Group Small Bodies Nomenclature (WGSBN). The name was approved and announced by the WGSBN on 5 February 2024.

References

References

1. (17 August 2004). "Discovery of the first quasi-satellite of Venus". [[Tuorla Observatory]].
2. (2004). "Asteroid 2002 VE68, a quasi-satellite of Venus". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
3. "Physical characterization of 2002 VE68, a quasi-moon of Venus".
4. (1913). "Retrograde satellite orbits". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
5. (2012). "On the dynamical evolution of 2002 VE68". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society.
6. (2013). "Asteroid 2012 XE133, a transient companion to Venus". [[Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society]].
7. Chandler, David L.. (9 February 2024). "How Venus Ended Up with a Mini-Moon Named Zoozve".
8. (26 January 2024). "Zoozve". WNYC Studios.