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Discovery
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|---|---|
| Discovered by | Carl A. Wirtanen |
| Discovery date | July 17, 1948 |
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Designations
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| Alternate name(s) | 1948 OA |
| Minor planet category |
Apollo, Mars crosser |
| Epoch December 1, 2005 (JD 2453705.5) | |
| Aphelion | 1.963 AU |
| Perihelion | 0.771 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 1.367 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.436 |
| Orbital period | 583.957 d |
| Average orbital speed | 24.217 km/s |
| Mean anomaly | 266.113° |
| Inclination | 9.380 ° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 274.355° |
| Argument of perihelion | 127.037° |
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Physical characteristics
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| Dimensions | 3 km [1] |
| Rotation period | 10.2 h |
| Albedo | .31 |
| Spectral type | S |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.0-14.4 |
1685 Toro is an Apollo asteroid that orbits the Sun in an 8:5 resonance with Earth, and a 13:5 resonance with Venus. Because of this unusual orbit, it is sometimes referenced as "Earth's second satellite".[2]
Toro was discovered by Carl A. Wirtanen at the Lick Observatory in 1948.[1] It was the third Apollo asteroid to be discovered. The name honours Betulia Toro, wife of the astronomer Samuel Herrick. Herrick had studied the asteroid's orbit, and requested the name, along with that of 1580 Betulia.[3][4]
Based on orbital paths, 1685 Toro is the best candidate for the source of the Sylacauga meteorite, the only meteorite known to have injured a human being, when it struck and bruised Mrs. Ann Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama, on November 30, 1954.[5]
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