8405 Asbolus
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Artist's impression of 8405 Asbolus
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Discovery
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| Discovered by | J. V. Scotti and R. Jedicke |
| Discovery date | April 5, 1995 |
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Designations
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| Alternative names | 1995 GO |
| Minor planet category |
centaur |
| Aphelion | 29.115 AU |
| Perihelion | 6.833 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 17.974 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.620 |
| Average orbital speed | ? |
| Mean anomaly | 22.1 |
| Inclination | 17.6 |
| Longitude of ascending node | 6.0 |
| Argument of perihelion | 290.3 |
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Physical characteristics
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| Dimensions | 72 km[1] |
| Mass | ? |
| Mean density | ? |
| Equatorial surface gravity | ? |
| Escape velocity | ? |
| Rotation period | ? |
| Albedo | 0.12 =/-0.03 |
| Spectral type | ? |
| Absolute magnitude | 9.0[2] |
8405 Asbolus (pronounced /ˈæzbələs/, from Greek: Άσβολος) is a centaur, that is, an icy asteroid that orbits between Jupiter and Neptune. It was discovered by James V. Scotti and Robert Jedicke of Spacewatch at Kitt Peak Observatory on April 5, 1995. It is named after Asbolus (Greek for sooty), a centaur in Greek mythology. Its provisional designation was 1995 GO.
Asbolus is believed to be 66±4 km in diameter.[3] No resolved images of it have ever been made but, in 1998, spectral analysis of its composition by the Hubble Space Telescope revealed a fresh impact crater on its surface, less than 10 million years old. Centaurs are dark in colour, because their icy surfaces have darkened after long exposure to solar radiation and the solar wind. However, fresh craters excavate brighter, more reflective ice from below the surface, and that is what Hubble has detected on Asbolus.
[edit] References
- ^ List of known trans-Neptunian objects
- ^ List Of Centaurs and Scattered-Disk Objects
- ^ Thermal Properties of Centaurs Asbolus and Chiron
