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Don Quixote (apmag 15) near perihelion in 2009
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Discovery[1]
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| Discovered by | Paul Wild |
| Discovery date | September 26, 1983 |
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Designations
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| Named after | Don Quixote |
| Alternate name(s) | 1983 SA |
| Minor planet category |
near-Earth asteroid;[1] Mars-crosser asteroid; Amor IV asteroid; Jupiter-crosser asteroid |
| Epoch October 22, 2004 (JD 2453300.5) | |
| Aphelion | 7.247 AU (1084.198 Gm |
| Perihelion | 1.216 AU (181.885 Gm) |
| Semi-major axis | 4.232 AU (633.041 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.713 |
| Orbital period | 8.70 a (3179.496 d) |
| Average orbital speed | 12.41 km/s |
| Mean anomaly | 157.954° |
| Inclination | 30.841° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 350.402° |
| Argument of perihelion | 316.918° |
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Physical characteristics
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| Dimensions | 18.7[2]-19.0 km[1] |
| Mass | 6.8×1015 kg |
| Mean density | 2? g/cm³ |
| Equatorial surface gravity | 0.0052 m/s² |
| Escape velocity | 0.0099 km/s |
| Rotation period | 7.7 h (0.3208 d)[1][2] |
| Albedo | 0.02[2]-0.03[1] |
| Temperature | ~138 K |
| Spectral type | D[1][2] |
| Apparent magnitude | 11.67 (1957) to 22.32[3] |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.0[1] |
3552 Don Quixote is a small main-belt, Amor, Mars crossing, potentially hazardous asteroid. It has a highly inclined comet-like orbit,[1] and measures about 19 km in diameter.[1] Its rotation period is 7.7 hours.[1] It was discovered by Paul Wild in 1983,[1] and is named after the comic knight who is the eponymous hero of Cervantes' Spanish novel Don Quixote (1605).
Don Quixote is suspected of being an extinct comet.[4] Don Quixote is frequently perturbed by Jupiter.[5]
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