(385250) 2001 DH₄₇

2001 DH₄₇

Discovery
Discovered by	Spacewatch
Discovery date	20 February 2001
Designations
MPC designation	(385250) 2001 DH47
Alternative designations	2001 DH47
Minor planet category	Martian L5
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	5521 days (15.12 yr)
Aphelion	1.5767436 AU (235.87749 Gm)
Perihelion	1.4708966 AU (220.04300 Gm)
Semi-major axis	1.5238201 AU (227.96024 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.0347308
Orbital period (sidereal)	1.88 yr (687.07 d)
Mean anomaly	322.37107°
Mean motion	0° 31m 26.279s / day
Inclination	24.40220°
Longitude of ascending node	147.42225°
Argument of perihelion	17.54935°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	0.562 km
Synodic rotation period	3.97 h[1]
Geometric albedo	0.5–0.05 (assumed)
Absolute magnitude (H)	18.9[1]

(385250) 2001 DH₄₇, provisional designation 2001 DH₄₇, is a sub-kilometer asteroid and Mars trojan orbiting 60° behind the orbit of Mars near the L₅ point.^[2][3]

Discovery, orbit and physical properties

2001 DH₄₇ was discovered on 1 February 2001 by the Spacewatch program, observing from Steward Observatory, Kitt Peak^[4] and classified as Mars-crosser by the Minor Planet Center. Its orbit is characterized by low eccentricity (0.035), moderate inclination (24.4º) and a semi-major axis of 1.52 AU.^[4] Its orbit is well determined as it is currently (March 2013) based on 45 observations with a data-arc span of 3,148 days.^[1] It has an absolute magnitude of 19.7 which gives a characteristic diameter of 562 m.^[1]

Mars trojan and orbital evolution

It was identified as Mars trojan by H. Scholl, F. Marzari and P. Tricarico in 2005 and its dynamical half-lifetime was found to be of the order of the age of the Solar System.^[2] Recent calculations^[3] confirm that it is indeed a stable L₅ Mars trojan with a libration period of 1365 yr and an amplitude of 11°. These values as well as its short-term orbital evolution are very similar to those of 5261 Eureka.

Origin

Long-term numerical integrations show that its orbit is very stable on Gyr time-scales (1 Gyr = 1 billion years).^[2][3] As in the case of Eureka, calculations in both directions of time (4.5 Gyr into the past and 4.5 Gyr into the future) indicate that 2001 DH₄₇ may be a primordial object, perhaps a survivor of the planetesimal population that formed in the terrestrial planets region early in the history of the Solar System.^[3]

See also

• 5261 Eureka (1990 MB)
• (101429) 1998 VF31
• (121514) 1999 UJ7
• (311999) 2007 NS2
• 2009 SE
• 2011 SC191
• 2011 SL25
• 2011 SP189
• 2011 UB256
• 2011 UN63
• 2016 CP31
• 2018 EC4
• 2018 FC4
• 2020 VT1

References

Further reading

• 2001 DH47 Ivashchenko, Y., Ostafijchuk, P., Spahr, T. B. 2007, Minor Planet Electronic Circular, 2007-P09.
• Dynamics of Mars Trojans Scholl, H., Marzari, F., Tricarico, P. 2005, Icarus, Volume 175, Issue 2, pp. 397–408.
• Three new stable L5 Mars Trojans de la Fuente Marcos, C., de la Fuente Marcos, R. 2013, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, Vol. 432, Issue 1, pp. 31–35.

External links

• 2001 DH₄₇ data at MPC
• (385250) 2001 DH47 at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• (385250) 2001 DH47 at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

This page was last edited on 27 November 2023, at 18:52