2015 YQ1

2015 YQ1 (also written 2015 YQ1) is an Apollo asteroid that is a temporary horseshoe companion to the Earth, the twelfth known Earth horseshoe librator.[6] It experienced a close encounter with the Earth on 2015 December 22 at 0.0037 AU.

2015 YQ1
Discovery
Discovered byMount Lemmon Srvy.
Discovery siteMount Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date19 December 2015
Designations
Designation
2015 YQ1
Orbital characteristics[2][3][4]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 6
Observation arc3 days
Aphelion1.40586 AU
Perihelion0.59681 AU
1.00134 AU
Eccentricity0.40398
1.00202 y (365.99 d)
317.067°
Inclination2.4865°
88.89770°
112.185°
Earth MOID0.00052 AU
Physical characteristics
Dimensions7–16 m[a][5]
28.1[2]

    Discovery

    2015 YQ1 was discovered on 2015 December 19 by A. D. Grauer observing with the 1.5-m reflector telescope at the Mount Lemmon Survey.[7] As of 9 March 2016, it has been observed 64 times with an observation arc of 3 days.[2]

    Orbit and orbital evolution

    Animation of 2015 YQ1's orbit relative to Sun and Earth
      2015 YQ1 ·   Sun ·   Earth

    2015 YQ1 is currently an Apollo asteroid (Earth-crossing but with a period greater than a year). Its semi-major axis (currently 1.00134 AU) is similar to that of Earth (1.00074 AU), but it has a relatively high eccentricity (0.40398) and low orbital inclination (2.4865°). It alternates between being an Aten asteroid and being an Apollo asteroid. As of 9 March 2016, this object is the 17th known Earth co-orbital and the 12th known object following a horseshoe path with respect to our planet. Asteroid 2015 YQ1 follows an asymmetrical horseshoe path with respect to our planet; the value of its relative mean longitude oscillates about 180°, but enclosing 0°; its orbital evolution is rather unstable.[6]

    Physical properties

    With an absolute magnitude of 28.1 mag, it has a diameter in the range 7–16 meters (for an assumed albedo range of 0.04–0.20, respectively).

    See also

    Notes

    • ^ This is assuming an albedo of 0.20–0.04.

    References

    1. List Of Apollo Minor Planets
    2. 2015 YQ1 at the JPL Small-Body Database Retrieved 2016-03-09
    3. AstDys-2 on 2015 YQ1 Retrieved 2016-03-09
    4. NEODyS-2 on 2015 YQ1 Retrieved 2016-03-09
    5. Absolute-magnitude conversion table (H)
    6. de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (1 April 2016). "A trio of horseshoes: past, present and future dynamical evolution of Earth co-orbital asteroids 2015 XX169, 2015 YA and 2015 YQ1". Astrophysics and Space Science. 361 (4): 121 (13 pages). arXiv:1603.02415. Bibcode:2016Ap&SS.361..121D. doi:10.1007/s10509-016-2711-6. S2CID 189843906.
    7. Discovery MPEC
    Further reading
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