2063 Bacchus

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2063 Bacchus
Discovery
Discovered by: Charles T. Kowal
Discovery date: April 24, 1977
Alternative names: 1977 HB
Minor planet category: Apollo asteroid
Orbital characteristics
Epoch July 14, 2004 (JD 2453200.5)
Aphelion distance: 217.608 Gm (1.455 AU)
Perihelion distance: 104.930 Gm (0.701 AU)
Semi-major axis: 161.269 Gm (1.078 AU)
Eccentricity: 0.349
Orbital period: 408.825 d (1.12 a)
Avg. orbital speed: 27.79 km/s
Mean anomaly: 206.604°
Inclination: 9.435°
Longitude of ascending node: 33.187°
Argument of perihelion: 55.214°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions: 1.1×1.1×2.6 km
Mass: 3.3×1012 kg
Mean density: 2? g/cm³
Equatorial surface gravity: 0.0004 m/s²
Escape velocity: 0.0008 km/s
Rotation period: 0.6208 d (14 h 54 min) 1
Albedo: 0.56
Temperature: ~224 K
Spectral type: Q-type asteroid
Absolute magnitude: 17.1
3D model of Asteroid 2063 Bacchus (Benner, Hudson, et al. 1999)
3D model of Asteroid 2063 Bacchus (Benner, Hudson, et al. 1999)

The Apollo, Venus- and Mars-crosser asteroid 2063 Bacchus was discovered on April 24, 1977 by Charles T. Kowal at the Palomar Observatory. In March 1996 radar observations of the asteroid were conducted at the Goldstone Observatory under the direction of JPL scientists Steven Ostro and Lance Benner, allowing the construction of a model of the object [1]. Optical observations were conducted by Petr Pravec, Marek Wolf, and Lenka Šarounová during March and April 1996.

The asteroid is about 1.1×1.1×2.6 km in size and has a bilobate shape. It is classified as a Q-type asteroid.

Its name derives from the Roman god Bacchus.

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ^ Benner, L. A. M., R. S. Hudson, S. J. Ostro, K. D. Rosema, J. D. Giorgini, D. K. Yeomans, R. F. Jurgens, D. L. Mitchell, R. Winkler, R. Rose, M. A. Slade, M. L. Thomas, and P. Pravec. Radar observations of asteroid 2063 Bacchus. Icarus 139, 309-327 (1999)


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